Bleach: Rebirth
by Tommo2304
Summary: The Winter War is over but something's wrong with Ichigo. At the same time, conspiracy and lies descend over Seireitei as an evil plan is put into place. Isshin is missing and the human world lies dead with only Ichigo who knows what happened. Try it out!
1. Fear

**Hello everyone! Here is my newest fic, Rebirth! I hope you all enjoy, please don't forget to drop in a review whenever you get the chance! Thank you :D - Tommo2304**

'_Isshin!' someone roared, an enormous light erupting outwards across the sky. Ichigo hit the floor, choking violently. All he could feel were rocks and blood, the red substance trickling down his head. It was hardly a new feeling. Overhead he saw a blade retract and then a swish of green and Urahara Kisuke was staring him in the face._

'_Kurosaki-san, we have to go, now!' he cried, Ichigo grunting as he was hauled up by his shihakusho collar and thrown forwards. Spinning round, he caught a quick glimpse of Ichimaru Gin disappearing into a raging fire, a bright purple glow beginning to swamp the area. The remnants of the town began to lift up around them as they struggled to reach the edge of the vicinity, Kisuke bounding forwards, leaping upwards and into the sky. Ichigo's vision was becoming blurry and he staggered forwards, looking up at the clouds, Urahara pulling open a door._

'_Hurry!' he heard him cry but it was muffled and Ichigo closed his eyes, opening them again to a brilliant flash of purple and then, nothing._

His eyes snapped open. Sitting up in his bed, Ichigo looked around. He was drenched in sweat, the sheets sticking to his back. The boy ran a hand through his orange hair and sighed, leaning back on his pillow, staring up at the ceiling.

'_Same dream…_' he thought to himself. Opening his curtains, he looked outside, the sounds of Hollow screams echoing through the night, raining splashing violently against the windows. '_…same Hollows…they've been getting more and more frequent lately._' he sat up again and grimaced, clutching his chest.

'_Ow…what's with my chest all of a sudden? There's no wound or anything…it just feels so heavy._' clambering out of bed, Ichigo took a step towards his cupboard and opened it precariously, peering in. The makeshift bed was neat and tidy, undisturbed, like a newly made nest.

'_So she didn't come home again last night. What's with her? She said she'd be back as soon as we killed Aizen. C'mon Rukia, drop me a line or something. And where the hell is Dad? It's been nearly two weeks since we won the battle…_' Ichigo sighed, resting his head against his arm on the cupboard. He pushed past his door quietly and tip toed over to his sister's bedroom, listening to the sound of their breathing outside the door.

'_Those two haven't woken up since the towns were transferred back either. Something is definitely up here…either that or I'm not seeing straight. Would sound about right, I haven't slept properly in nearly two weeks._' he grumbled in his head, trudging back into his bedroom.

'Morning!' Urahara cried, the man perched on Ichigo's windowsill. Ichigo leapt out of his skin, clutching a coat hanger for defence. Urahara's happy wave drooped slightly as he eyed up the boy, a deranged look on Ichigo's face.

'Whoa, you get an intruder and you go for a coat hanger? You're a strange kid.' Kisuke smiled slyly behind his fan, Ichigo throwing the object aside before slumping up against his cupboard.

'What're you doing here Kisuke?' he wondered, bluntly asking the man. 'And it's not the morning, it's…' Ichigo turned, looking over at his clock. '…three in the morning!? What the hell are you doing here!? And why the hell am I awake!?' Kisuke shook his head at Ichigo before pulling his hat off to puff it out again, blowing some of the rain from it's rim.

'Still not sleeping well, ey Ichigo?' he asked, the boy shaking his head. 'I don't blame you. It was a hell of a battle.'

'That's not the only thing. Rukia still isn't back, those guys are still sleeping and my chest hurts nearly all the time now. I don't have a clue about anything, it's like all I can count on is having that same stupid dream every night.' Ichigo moaned, rubbing the back of his neck. Urahara raised a curious eyebrow.

'Dream?' he asked, Ichigo nodding, folding his arms.

'Yeah. It's been the same every night since we killed that bastard Aizen. Someone calls my dad's name, you are in it, Ichimaru is in it…I think we are in the Fake Karakura Town. You try and escape, but I don't make it and then there's a purple light and then…' he explained, trailing off at the end.

'And then?' Kisuke probed, Ichigo shrugging.

'It always ends there.' he said simply, Urahara nodding and stroking his chin. Kisuke turned round and looked out of the window before leaping out of it suddenly, landing softly on the ground below. With a flick of his wrist, a thin umbrella was in his palm and he held it above his head, looking around, a solemn look on his face.

'Aren't you coming?' came his voice from below as Ichigo prepared to shut his window. Poking his head out, Ichigo looked around and scoffed at the idea, gesturing to the man that it was raining. Urahara raised a mocking eyebrow and nodded his head thoroughly.

'So it is. I wouldn't have guessed without your help Kurosaki-san!' he shouted, Ichigo growling at him from his window before jumping out and aiming for Urahara's back, his eye twitching insanely.

'Er, human, Ichigo.' Urahara reminded him, Ichigo's eyes widening as he squeaked, about to hit the floor when Kisuke rammed him with his staff, the boy choking as he was tore from his human self, his Shinigami body ripping away. He watched as his shell like body fell to the floor, splashing in a muddy puddle.

'Great…' Ichigo mumbled, Urahara beginning to walk off.

'You could have just used the front door.' he called back, Ichigo swinging his fists at the man. Together they walked through the town, the Hollows tearing apart buildings, fires rising and flickering in the rain, the bodies of souls lying on the ground, blood splattered up the walls. At last they came to Kisuke's shop, the walls no longer completely wood, but covered in a yellowish stone which Urahara made certain remained in place. Ichigo stared at the stone, memories flooding back to him.

'Yep, it's Sekkiseki stone, just like the one surrounding Seireitei. No Hollow is getting in here.' Urahara grinned devilishly before throwing the door open and striding in, Ichigo following lamely.

'Hey, Urahara-san, did we just leave my body th…?' he began but Urahara threw the lights on and sat down quickly, taking his hat off and rubbing his head in his heads, sighing heavily. Ichigo pulled up a chair in front of the man and declined a drink, slouching in the seat. 'So why'd you bring me here?' he asked, a moody look on his face. Kisuke looked at him darkly, contemplating thoughts.

'Ichigo…' he began, the boy looking on dumbly. '…this town isn't what it used to be, you can see just as well as I can. The place only got like this after the battle with Aizen. We thought it would be a better world with him gone, but it appears things have just gotten worse. The Soul Society isn't keeping the human world in check anymore and I don't understand why. What's more we have the problems you are facing to deal with. Your heavy hurting chest, the disappearance of your father…they are all linked. I need you to answer me something first, Ichigo.' Urahara asked, Ichigo nodding.

'Go ahead.' he replied, Urahara taking in a breath.

'How do you think the Winter War ended?' he asked, Ichigo taken aback.

'How do I think it ended? We won, Aizen was destroyed. I saw it with my own eyes, he sort of vanished. Ichimaru was the only one who escaped.' Kurosaki recounted, recalling the memories in his head. Kisuke fell silent, aware that Ichigo was likely to react badly to what he had to say.

'Ichigo…' he began, the boy looking at him with intent. '…your father isn't missing. He's dead.' he said softly, Ichigo's eyes widening with horror.

'W…wha-?' he stammered, Urahara getting up from his chair and staring out of a window up at the sky.

'He gave his life to defeat Aizen and the Hogyoku shattered. I felt now was the right time for you to know. There is one other thing though…I think Ichimaru Gin may have escaped back to Soul Society.' Kisuke explained, Ichigo still reeling over the loss of his father. Urahara went on. 'Every single one of the Gotei 13 were under Aizen's spell. I think that Gin has taken a hold of the Seireitei using Kyoka Suigetsu's influence. My proof is that the Soul Society has let this entire town die, something I know they would never do.'

'B…but wouldn't Kyoka Suigetsu stop working when Aizen died?' Ichigo asked, clutching his heart suddenly, choking violently. Urahara placed a hand on the boy's back and began to pat it gently, Ichigo waving him off.

'I'm fine…I'm still shocked is all…' Kurosaki grumbled, looking up at the man's solemn eyes. 'Anyway, yeah, wouldn't it stop working…?'

'That's what I don't understand myself. There are plenty of other things I don't understand as well. You are correct though, Aizen did vanish that day, his soul body exploded. Nonetheless, that isn't what we should be focusing on. You need to get some rest for now, time to recuperate. You should find your sisters awake when you get home.' Urahara told him, standing with his back to the boy.

'How…?' Ichigo began, Kisuke turning to him slightly.

'I put them to sleep. I wanted you to find out about Isshin first. Anyway, Ichigo. I know this is undoubtedly a hard time for you but there are two tasks I require of you…' Urahara began but Ichigo stood to his feet, his fists clenched, a determined look on the substitute Shinigami's face.

'I'm alright, Urahara-san. Dad may have died, but he died fighting for what he lived for. He dealt the most crippling blow to the enemy we could have hoped for and that's that. His soul is likely to be at rest, far more than it ever was when he was alive. That's what matters most. Knowing that, I will be alright.' Ichigo said sternly, Urahara mustering a small smile on his face as he flapped his fan vigorously.

'Well done, Kurosaki-san.' he smiled warmly at the boy.

'So, what're these tasks?' Ichigo asked, breaking the silence. Nodding, Kisuke made his way around a table and reached into a drawer, pulling out a small object and handing it to Ichigo.

'First, I need you to go home and then meet with your friends. Explain to them the potential situation in Soul Society. Then we can make a plan of action. Secondly, I want you to take this…' he said, gesturing towards the small bag he had just given to the boy. It was made out of burlap and was tied up at the top. It was small enough to nestle sweetly in Ichigo's palm. '…I need you to get this to Kurotsuchi Mayuri. I feel that maybe he is one of the only ones who could understand me now. But a word of warning Ichigo. Please don't open it. If you do, you may experience a fear greater than you could possibly endure.'

Ichigo weighted the sack in his hand, looking at it oddly.

'It feels like there's absolutely nothing in it.' he pondered, Urahara clapping his hands together with glee.

'Then it's totally uninteresting and there's no need to open it! Perfect!' he said joyously, forcing Ichigo to the door. 'Good luck, Kurosaki-san. Remember, I'm always here at the shop should you need me. Oh and if you keep getting pains in your chest, don't ignore them. Let them flourish. It may be a key to understanding what they really are.' Urahara smirked, Ichigo nodding, totally bemused with everything that had just occurred. Stumbling out of the shop, Kurosaki lumbered into the town, Urahara watching him from a window before drawing tight the curtain.

**Bleach - Rebirth**


	2. Anguish

**Thank you for the fantastic response everyone! Please keep it up and i'll keep writing the story! Thank you to Zangetsu50, SeraphinaDonna, ichigos future wife, shadowgouf, fuzzibunniez, Illidan the Half Demon and TheDarkSlayer! Please keep reviewing :D Enjoy!**

The wooden floor was cold. That was all she could feel on the side of her face as she woke, her eyes fluttering open. Coughing slightly, the girl sat up, looking around, dazed. She was definitely in the Seireitei, the towering pillars and shimmering sunlight told her just as much, the clouds resting high above looking down on her. As she stood, she stumbled, a blast of wind catching her, flinging her around. Gasping, she stopped fast, almost falling forwards to her doom. She was atop a thin, narrow bridge made of stone, looming over the Seireitei. Only the Repentance Cell was taller, eclipsing the sun like a magnificent obelisk. She raised a hand to her forehead and squinted to see, the wind running through her black hair. Looking down at herself, she clasped her pearly white dress in one hand and ran it through her fingers. It felt silky and loose.

'_This isn't my kimono…_' she thought to herself dreamily. Suddenly, she heard a footstep echo towards her and turned, a man appearing from the clouds. He approached her, making his way easily across the thin bridge. His wide, mocking smile and thin eyes scared her, chills dashing through her body. His purple hair wavered in the wind and he sniffed the air, like a predator.

'Looks like I found ya…' he smiled at her nastily, the girl whimpering. '…ya are comin' with me, Rukia-chan.'

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki, Inoue Orihime, Sado Yasotora and Uryu Ishida sat around a small table in complete silence, eyeing the burlap bag in the centre. In the background, a clock ticked tediously, over and over. Ichigo had his head rested on his hand, Orihime looked around innocently, and Sado was focusing firmly on the bag whilst Uryu was placing his glasses up his nose. Finally, Sado reached out for the bag when Ichigo leapt up and slapped his hand, the man retracting it, saddened.

'We can't touch it, it's not meant to be opened. I just have to get it to Kurotsuchi Mayuri.' Kurosaki grumbled.

'How are we supposed to get it to him if we can't touch it?' Uryu said coldly, Ichigo cursing at him.

'I can touch it, just not you!' Ichigo snapped, Uryu looking away.

'I think this is all completely unnecessary. We can deal with the Hollows here and Soul Society can deal with their own problems. Besides, how are we even going to get to the Soul Society?' Ishida exclaimed, Ichigo opening his mouth to protest before falling back, thinking deeply.

'Oh yeah…' he whispered. Suddenly he cried out in pain and gripped his chest, Orihime dashing over to him as he struggled to breathe. She leant over him, the boy shaking his head frantically. 'Stay away Inoue! I…argh, I have to let…it flourish…!' he choked, gripping his shirt tightly, twisting it in between his fingers.

'What kind of logic is that Ichigo!?' Uryu cried, Ichigo spluttering before suddenly opening his eyes wide, his mind twisting and turning before he fell backwards, an image flowing into his head.

'_Did you find her, Gin?_' _a voice asked, Ichimaru standing with his hand on Rukia's neck, throwing the girl forwards._

'_Ya, she was up on the tower. Dunno what she was gonna do, somethin' stupid no doubt.' smiled the villain, the girl kneeling on the floor, her eyes shut tight as she breathed fast, her chest rising up and down speedily. _

'_You have no need to be so afraid Rukia. Soon the boy will die and his body will be gone. It's only a matter of time before………………_' the voice suddenly trailed off and Ichigo began to cough, his mind twisting to a different image now as the pains in his chest increased, pounding against his heart.

'_Isshin!' someone roared, an enormous light erupting outwards across the sky. Ichigo hit the floor, choking violently. All he could feel were rocks and blood, the red substance trickling down his head. It was hardly a new feeling. Overhead he saw a blade retract and then a swish of green and Urahara Kisuke was staring him in the face. _

'_Kurosaki-san! We have to go! Now!' he cried, Ichigo grunting as he was hauled up by his shihakusho collar and thrown forwards. Spinning round, he caught a quick glimpse of Ichimaru Gin disappearing into a raging fire, a bright purple glow beginning to swamp the area. The remnants of the town began to lift up around them as they struggled to reach the edge of the vicinity, Kisuke bounding forwards, leaping upwards and into the sky. Ichigo's vision was becoming blurry and he staggered forwards, looking up at the clouds, Urahara pulling open a door._

'_Hurry!' he heard him cry but it was muffled and Ichigo closed his eyes, opening them again to a brilliant flash of purple and then, a shadow. A figure was hunched over him, Ichigo on the ground again. In his hand, the figure was holding a small orb and he held it over Ichigo's face, the muffled shouts of Urahara barely breaking through anymore. The orb began to disappear, dissolving in the wind into powder before the figure did the same, shattering into thin air, almost like glass and then, nothing._

Ichigo shot up, panting heavily like a dog, grasping his chest, the pain gone. Sado helped him sit up whilst Uryu knelt down in front of him, slapping Ichigo's face lightly.

'Kurosaki. Kurosaki! Can you hear me?' he shouted, Ichigo coming to, punching Uryu in the face, the Quincy falling down backwards, Ichigo rubbing his cheek. Sado placed a paw on Ichigo's shoulder, the boy looking up at him.

'Ichigo, what did you see?' he said quietly, Ichigo shaking his head.

'I…I saw Rukia…she was with Ichimaru Gin…' he whispered slowly.

'Rukia-chan?' Orihime mumbled. 'Wait, isn't he one of the captains who left with Aizen?' she asked, Ichigo nodding.

'He wasn't killed in the war. He was the only survivor of the three, but there was definitely another voice speaking to him. It…it didn't have a body though. It was almost like a floating spirit, but I didn't recognise the voice. It looked…looked as if they were in Soul Society. And then…' he trailed off, standing up slowly to his feet. '…I saw my dream, but a little more of it this time.' He sighed, rubbing his forehead. Turning, he began to walk off, Orihime spinning round.

'Kurosaki-kun, where are you…?' she began, Ichigo not stopping for them.

'I'm going home quickly. I need to say a few things to Karin and Yuzu. Then it's off to Soul Society. If Ichimaru Gin has Rukia we need to get there as fast as possible.' Ichigo declared, his friends nodding.

* * *

When he finally arrived home, Ichigo placed a hand on his front door, sighing to himself. It was still raining and the cry of a Hollow tore through the sky. There was fresh blood on the doorstop, another victim. Looking up into the rain, Ichigo closed his eyes and let the droplets run down his forehead; it was cleansing and it felt cool.

'_What are you doing Soul Society? Has Ichimaru really got control over you?_' he thought to himself before mustering up the strength to open the door, closing it quietly behind him. It was silent inside, the sisters still asleep. The boy threw his jacket down on the kitchen table and sat with his head in his hands, memories of his goofy dad popping into his head. The times where he greeted him with a kick to the face, or attempted to obtain his daughter's love were over, finished. Ichigo was thinking of the best way to break it to them. Looking up at the clock on the wall, he realised they would nearly be waking up for school now. Making his way up the stairs, Ichigo approached their door with hesitation, breathing in deep and raising his hand to the handle. He opened the door. It made an awful, prolonged groan as it swung open, Ichigo standing in the frame, his shadow sprawling across the floor as it were cast by the landing light. Awkwardly, he walked over to Karin, the first one he saw. She turned over in her sleep and he stood over her, facing the wall behind her.

'Karin…' he whispered. The girl turned over again as he held out his hand to shake her awake. Her shoulder almost brushed across his fingertip and he recoiled instantly, clenching his hand into a fist.

'Karin…' he repeated, his voice almost a breath. Holding out his hand one more time, it shook uneasily before he finally realised he couldn't do it. Giving up, he let his arm drop by his side and he hung his head, shaking, almost ready to cry.

'Karin…our family hasn't felt like this since mum died…I know you guys don't know what's going on, but dad's real proud of you. He always will be. He told me to tell you, that you don't need to worry about him anymore. He told me to tell you, that he'll always be there to watch you grow old. And he told me to tell you…to die with a smile on your face.' Ichigo shook himself down and wiped the smallest of tears away from under his eyes, bringing himself together. With that, he walked out of the room and closed the door quietly behind him, leaving the girls to sleep. He left the house without an umbrella, it was still raining heavily. Thrusting his hands into his pockets, he walked out into the wet, the dark and cloudy sky brewing ominously overhead. As he stared down into a puddle, his reflection rippling, he heard someone call his name and he looked over his shoulder. Orihime was running towards him, a worried look on her face as she stopped, her hair drenched and matted to her face.

'Inoue…you should have gone and waited at Urahara's.' Ichigo muttered, a surprised expression lighting his face. The girl simply smiled a bit and went to embrace him, but held her arms back and instead, smiled even wider still.

'Kurosaki-kun will be okay,' she said warmly, Ichigo looking up. Orihime was looking down onto the ground now, her skirt dripping with rainwater as she spoke. 'Kurosaki-kun has been through tough times…saving Rukia from the Soul Society, saving me from Hueco Mundo, beating Ulquiorra, fighting Aizen in Karakura…Kurosaki-kun will be okay.' She said, reassured. Ichigo returned her smile and making his way over to her. Together they turned to walk down the pathway to Urahara's, Ichigo's mind soothed slightly. Meeting them at the end of the road, also soaked, were Uryu and Sado, the two of them grinning at Ichigo, Sado giving him a hearty thumbs up.

'I take it you're ready to save Rukia again, huh Kurosaki?' Uryu smirked, Ichigo chuckling back.

'Hell yeah.' He grinned, the four of them striding towards the shop, a new hope in their hearts.

* * *

'What are you talking about Yoruichi-san?' Urahara asked, looking up at the woman who had arrived in his shop, lightning flashing outside the windows as the rain came down even harder now.

'I'm saying Kisuke that it's not wise to travel to Seireitei. It's corrupt, more so than usual. I saw a thing when I was monitoring them as a cat…something is definitely wrong. They are killing random Shinigami, executing them. The captains seem to be blind to everything; they aren't doing anything about it. And the human world, well…they've almost forgotten it exists. 'Yoruichi explained, Urahara resting his cane up against a wall.

'What about Rukia-chan? Did you find her?' Kisuke asked, turning to look at the woman. Yoruichi bit her lip and looked away, Urahara reaching out to her. 'Something wrong, Yoruichi-san?' he asked bluntly, the woman nodding slowly. She turned to him and gripped his arm tight, the man looking shocked at her.

'Kisuke…its Rukia…' she whispered, the shopkeeper looking down at her in confusion. '…she's dead Kisuke.' She said, Urahara's eyes widening as he gasped in horror.

'They executed her this morning.' Yoruichi cried, looking up into his eyes, the man choking as Ichigo and the others burst in through the front door, the group smiling cheerily. The feeling in the air was a cold, gloomy depression and the gang looked around before Ichigo scratched his head.

'Hey…is something wrong?' he asked slowly, Urahara turning to him, a scowl on his face as he fought back his anger.

'I'm sorry Ichigo…'


	3. Despair

**Wow! Thank you all so much, you guys are awesome! I can't believe how this fic is doing :D Please keep reviewing and enjoying, it'll keep me writing, thank you :) Thank you to SeraphinaDonna, hitsugayatoshirou1220, ichigos future wife, shadowgouf, Illidan the Half Demon, IchigoKurosakiSotaicho, burgsmith, Zangetsu50 and fuzzibunniez! Thanks everyone!**

'W…what did you just say?' Orihime stammered, Urahara turning to her, his hat in his hand as he scrunched it tight, sighing heavily.

'Miss Kuchiki…was executed by the Soul Society this morning.' Kisuke whispered, the words barely escaping his mouth. 'I'm so sorry…I promise I'll go and find out what is going on, I - …' he began but everyone fell silent as Ichigo stood up and left the room, closing the front door behind him and walking out into the rain, his hands in his jacket pockets again. Urahara ran a hand through his thick, blonde hair and slumped into a chair, resting his face on his fist. Yoruichi stooped down next to him, her hand on his shoulder.

'Kisuke, it's not your fault.' she purred, the man raising his eyes up to the ceiling.

'So soon after learning about his dad too…' Urahara choked, standing up slowly and turning away, making his way to the back door. With his back to them, he rested a weary hand on the door frame and didn't look back. '…I'm sorry everyone. I can't stay. Feel free to stay here as long you need.' With that, he slid the door closed behind him, Yoruichi turning to the others. They stood, Orihime's face red with tears, Uryu standing, looking solemnly from the window, Sado seated and silent. Yoruichi looked at each and everyone of them before turning and leaving into the room where Kisuke went. The rest of them were quiet, the sound of that infernal clock still ticking away. Uryu clicked his tongue and looked in the direction of the clock, it's ever moving hands reflected in his glasses.

'So the clock ticks forward still. This time, the cruel hands are claiming Kuchiki-san. Perhaps, just maybe, the ticking of the clock is like a heart, beating onwards. Even if someone dies, their heart will beat in all of us, just like that never ending time.' he whispered, Sado nodding quietly.

'Ishida-kun…' Inoue sobbed into her sleeve, the Quincy looking at her awkwardly, the girl shuffling over to them and removing her arm, her eyes shimmering and dripping relentlessly as she looked out at the pouring rain, Ichigo just standing there, looking down at the ground. '…why did she die? Why did she have to die?'

Uryu simply placed his hand on her shoulder, finding it hard to think of something more appropriate.

'Because Miss Inoue, there's something wrong in the Soul Society.' he said hoarsely. 'We have to figure out what it is…both for Miss Kuchiki's sake, but for Kurosaki's as well.' They fell into silence for a minute, Orihime choking on her tears as she cleared her throat, Uryu turning to her.

'Ishida-kun…do you think Kurosaki-kun would be like this, if I died?' she said bluntly, Uryu taken aback by the remark. Sighing, he turned back to the window as the girl placed her hand on the glass.

'Let's hope we never have to find out, Miss Inoue.'

* * *

Ichigo stood, alone, outside. The rain was rattling down still and he heard the scream of another Hollow, another tortured soul. His hair was matted to his face now and he closed his eyes, clenching his fist tight.

'_I couldn't protect her, just like I couldn't protect dad, or mum…_' he thought to himself, shaking on the spot. His clothes were sticking to him now and he sank to his knees, the ground splashing around him, the droplets hanging in the air, shimmering in the light. Looking down, he placed his palms in the water, ripples drifting apart.

'_...If I ask, will you answer? ...It's your problem. A deep, deep problem. I have no right to know. I don't have a method of stepping into the depths of your heart without getting it dirty. So I'll wait. When you want to talk, when you think it's okay to talk... Talk to me. Until that time, I'll wait.'_

In his head, in the ripple in front of him, the girl's face appeared, smiling softly at him, her hair flowing with the direction of the water, spots of rain landing in front of him. He could feel it running down his back as he shuddered, his arms weak.

'_I would…definitely fight the rules.'_

He began to cry. Tears fell down his cheeks. In a way, he felt terrible. He was angry at himself. He didn't cry about his father. Or did he? Perhaps this was all pent up from the beginning. From the moment he learned of his dad's death, from the moment he couldn't wake Karin. Now, as he cried, he began to learn of what he could do. Around his hands, the water turned to blood. It flowed past them, washing her face away. He choked, his eyes shivering, his pupils dilating. Falling to the ground, he coughed, the blood seeping past him as he clutched his chest again, breathing rapidly.

'_What am I doing? Why did I run? All my realisations came down to this? This is too embarrassing, too embarrassing, I am…too innocent, to the point it can't be saved.'_

'Rukia…' he whispered. '…I failed to save you. I'm sorry. But there's nothing I can do. I failed…I have to do something. But there is nothing.' he rolled over on his back, the thick blood rushing past him. Suddenly, he heard faint splashes and rolled over, looking up at the incoming person, the man clicking his tongue cheekily, his hands in his pockets as he looked down on the boy.

'Eh? What the hell's the matter with ya?' mocked the voice, Ichigo squinting through the rain to see who it was.

'S…Shinji?' he whispered as the man's face came into view, an unusually solemn look on his face.

'Yeah. Ya been cryin'?' he asked bluntly, sitting down on the ground next to him, looking up at the sky, the dark clouds swirling around above, the rain churning out of them and splashing hard onto the ground. 'I know what happened. It ain't right. But if ya wanna do somethin' about it instead of just lyin' there on the ground, ya might wanna get your ass to the Soul Society.'

Ichigo fell quiet and just waited in silence before standing up and looking over at the faint glow of the Urahara shop.

'What's the point, Hirako-san?' he whispered. 'I couldn't save her. I couldn't stop it. I didn't even know it was gonna happen. What's the point in wanting to protect people if I can't even begin to try?'

'Listen, Ichigo. If ya wanna try an' understand what happened, ya gotta look into it ter prevent it from happenin' again…' Shinji began but Ichigo span round to him, fury in his eyes.

'WHAT'S THE POINT NOW THAT SHE'S DEAD!?' he roared, the night falling quiet. Shinji was quiet, the wind blowing his hair over his eyes. However, instead of snapping back or walking off, he merely chuckled to himself, standing up and facing Ichigo in the eyes.

'Ya don't get it do ya? What's yer name?' he asked, Ichigo looking at him dumbly, tilting her head. 'What's yer name?' he repeated, Kurosaki stammering.

'I…Ichigo…' he spluttered.

'The One Protector. And ya may have ter wake up Ichigo. Ya wanna protect people? Fine. Then take your head outta the ground an' get yourself to Soul Society. What do ya think Rukia would have wanted? Would she have wanted ya to just sit here and mope? Don't think I haven't noticed the changes in you Ichigo, yer chest pains an' everything. You have ter get a move on Ichigo. Dark things are happenin' in Soul Society. I'm not gonna say I like 'em cause I don't but I will say this…Soul Society didn't kill Rukia.' Shinji declared, Ichigo's eyes widening as he suddenly recalled the vision he had earlier. Nodding, he clenched his fist and bared his teeth.

'Ichimaru! Ichimaru killed Rukia!' he growled, Shinji tilting his head cryptically.

'Ya sure?' he wondered. 'Ya gonna protect people, Ichigo?' he asked, Ichigo drifting into a deep memory.

'_You're going to protect him? Isn't he a stranger? Whether it's in front of you or far away, it doesn't change the fact that he's being attacked! Saving him because he's right in front of you? Don't be naïve.'_

Shinji smiled at him, nodding.

'I'm gonna see Urahara. Ya take as long as ya need kid.' he smirked before vanishing on the spot, the wind whipping up the water where he stood, the rain showing no signs of letting up. Looking over to the shop again, Ichigo sighed a long heavy sigh as another Hollow roared in the background.

* * *

Urahara Kisuke sat in the back room of his shop, his head in his hands, Yoruichi standing beside him. Yoruichi looked suddenly to the door of the room, Urahara's eyes flicking up as Shinji appeared in the room, touching down neatly on the ground.

'Ya felt me already huh?' he asked, impressed. Urahara nodded.

'Hirako-san, it's good to see you.' he said, but his heart wasn't in it.

'I haven't seen ya like this since…well…' Shinji said, trailing off, but Kisuke knew what he meant. 'I take it ya realise somethin' is wrong.'

'With which one?' Urahara responded slyly.

'Both of 'em.' Shinji muttered back, the room growing darker as the clouds passed over the moon. Nodding, Kisuke and Yoruichi turned to the Vizard. 'I just met Ichigo out the front. Seemed pretty down. I guess it's to be expected, the kid hasn't experienced much death has he?'

Urahara looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.

'The boy has experienced more than you know Hirako-san.' Kisuke sighed, his head back in his hands. 'I just can't understand it. She was killed right in front of us almost and we had next to no notification of it…Soul Society isn't thinking straight.'

'Yeah, ya just realised? They haven't been the same since we beat that bastard Aizen back into the ground.' Hirako said with a little grin. 'Ichigo's been actin' weird too…and I don't mean he's been mournin'. I mean something is going on Kisuke. I don't like this.' he explained, Urahara nodding in agreement.

'I think that there's only one option…' Urahara began when suddenly there was a knock on their door and they fell silent, Ichigo sliding into the room, his hands in his pockets and his head hanging down, the water dropping from him. '…Ichigo?'

'Hey…' he whispered hoarsely. '…I've been thinking and…I want to go to Soul Society. I've got to figure this out, Urahara-san. Please, take me to Soul Society.'


	4. Rain

**Everyone, thank you so much! Everyone has been awesome so far and kept reviewing, please keep it up ^^ Enjoy! Thank you to Illidan the Half Demon, SeraphinaDonna, animelover1993, Kuiinsama, AAA ASRA AAA, Zangetsu50, ichigos future wife, shadowgouf and fuzzibunniez! **

Ichigo lay on his bed, staring up dreamily at the ceiling. The plaster on the roof seemed to be making patterns and he smiled up at it. At least back at home everything didn't seem so terrible. It was only stepping out into the freezing, piercing rain that his world collapsed. His sisters were safely tucked up in bed, the constant storm still thundering down outside, the sound of rain tapping on his window unnerving him, but he kept calm. Rolling over to his side, he breathed out slowly, watching the bed sheets twist and ripple as he thought back to earlier in the evening.

'_Are you sure Ichigo? The Soul Society is likely to be a very dangerous place right now. I fear that I have discovered things that make it impossible for me to venture with you at the moment.' Urahara said as Ichigo had sidled into the room._

'_Like what?' he asked, poking his head up. Kisuke shook his head, looking nervously out of the window._

'_Nothing to discuss here. Are you certain you want to go?' Urahara asked, Ichigo nodding._

'_I have to, for Rukia. I have to find out what the hell is going on.' he said defiantly, Kisuke managing a weak smile as he brushed a hand through his soft, blonde hair, his eyes weary, but a sparkle of hope gleaming in them now._

'_I know you well enough to know there's no backing down now. Alright then. But please, for me, get some rest. One night's sleep is all I ask. It's been a while since you were even in Bankai, you will need to give your reiatsu time to grow again.' Urahara asked of him, the frustration evident in Ichigo's face._

'_But shouldn't I be traini…?' he began but Yoruichi snapped suddenly at him, her face a scornful glare._

'_Enough, Ichigo! Do you want to find out what's going on? Then I think you know who to listen to, who to trust, right?' she spat, Ichigo looking aside in silent apology. Tipping his hat, Shinji chuckled to himself and stood up, eyeing the boy from under his hair, shooting a quick glance at Kisuke before opening the door and striding out, rubbing the back of his head lazily. _

'_Eh…still rainin'. What a pain in the ass.' he grumbled, looking up at the sky._

Sighing to himself, Ichigo finally accepted that he wasn't going to sleep. Sitting up on his bed, it made a deafening creak and he grimaced, waiting for any sound that his sisters had woken up. The house was quiet. Making his way across the hall, he pushed open his sister's door softly, peering in on them. Karin was clutching something in her hand which looked like a small ball of paper, Ichigo tilting his head at it. Making his way into their room, he trudged quietly across the carpet, reaching out for the scrunched up paper when suddenly he gripped his chest, his throat closing up as he choked and fell to the floor. Throwing his hand down, he gripped the carpet, coughing violently, as if his body was attempting to force something out. Clutching his throat, Ichigo hit the ground, straining to keep his eyes open.

'K…Karin…Yuzu…' he attempted to muster but the words couldn't form properly and he fell into a stupour, no one able to help him. Reaching up into the air, he coughed and spluttered before suddenly, almost instantly, his eyes were taken elsewhere and he was pulled into a dream like world, just like the last time, except this time it was more vivid, more solid. More real.

* * *

'_What is this?_' he thought to himself, standing up and looking around. Then it hit him. It was the Seireitei again and he appeared to be in the Repentance Cell. Making his way over to the thin window in the wall, he peered out, taking a step back at the height of the tower, the clouds drifting lazily by below. At least Soul Society seemed to be in perfect working order on the outside anyway. Behind him, he heard a door begin to open and he scurried into a corner, hiding from sight. Through the doorway a bright light emerged, illuminating the entire room, Ichigo covering his eyes. It was only the sunlight after all, he figured it was because the tower was so high. Then, into view, came seven figures, all shadows to him right now. The first six were guards, draped in white and carrying tall, red staffs. Ichigo decided that they were prison guards or they wouldn't be working around this cell. They stopped, the final person standing in the doorway still, the group bowing down to him.

'Here you are.' the nearest man muttered, the shadowy figure striding in and patting him light heartedly on the back.

'Ya, nice work! Now, leave won't you?' came a sickeningly familiar voice, Gin Ichimaru stepping into the room, a villainous grin on his face. He was still wearing the Arrancar uniform, his flowing white coat billowing behind him, his sleeve still torn from his earlier battle with Ichigo back in the fake Karakura Town. Nodding, they stood up in unison and strode out of the room, closing behind them the gigantic doors of the tower. As soon as they slammed shut, Gin took a quick look around him, smirking to himself.

'Hmm…' he murmured, taking a step forwards. Ichigo cowered back, the enemy facing him head on. He could feel a bead of sweat trickle down his neck, causing him to shiver. Then, Ichimaru turned away, Ichigo breathing a sigh of relief.

'_He can't see me…this truly is some kinda vision. So what, the longer I pass out for, the longer I can see what is going on? But why following Gin all the time? And why'd those guards just let him pass like that? Is Kyoka Suigetsu truly still active on this place?_' Ichigo thought to himself hurriedly.

'Hey…ya can come out now.' Gin said suddenly. Ichigo waited. The entire room was silent, Gin focusing on the wall. Suddenly, almost like a surreal dream, the floor began to ripple in the centre. Ichigo watched it intently, swallowing hard as a familiar reiatsu trembled all over him, almost crushing his chest. Suddenly, he spat blood as his chest hurt more than it had ever before, the floor rippling faster and faster. Ichigo looked worriedly at his hand, the thick, red blood dripping from his chin as he coughed.

'_What!? It's…it's worse!? How is that possible in a vision?_' Kurosaki wheezed. Then, he forgot all about it. From the floor, a figure rose, his body covered in what looked like purple vines. His torn white coat flowed behind him, the vines whipping outwards and rooting themselves to the floor, the ground cracking where they struck. The man had his arms out by his sides, his brown hair blowing gently in a wind that wasn't there. Gin chuckled, looking up as the man was raised to his height, the floor settling again, Ichigo's chest burning with pain, the reiatsu thundering down upon him. Finally, the reiatsu let off and Ichigo straightened up, catching his breath.

'So, ya finally showed up. Ya been trailin' me this whole time?' Gin said slyly, the figure moving his fingers, a cracking noise being made with every twitch.

'Naturally. I couldn't have you running around the Soul Society with the power of my zanpakuto now could I?' the figure responded in a voice horribly clear to Ichigo. It was like it was coming from his own head, it was pounding in the boy's brain.

'Aww, ya don't trust me?' Ichimaru sniggered, flicking his hair back.

'I didn't say that. Anyway, I can't remain like this for long, so I will lay out the plan to you. We must kill everyone who was near the Hogyoku. I take it Miss Kuchiki was dealt with?' the man asked, Gin nodding.

'Yep. Executed an' everythin'.' he smiled nastily. 'But why? Ya gonna let me in on the big scheme yet or what?' he asked, the figure shaking his head. Drifting across the floor, gliding, almost like a celestial being, the man stopped, looking out of the window. He was almost inches away from Ichigo.

'I'm afraid not Gin. Not just yet, anyway. You see, everything must be executed in the utmost secrecy. These people, the ones who were closest to the Hogyoku, the Breakdown Sphere are the key to everything. That, and the boy. With them out of the way, everything will fit into place.' the man smiled, the purple vines creeping across his face.

'If ya sure…' Ichimaru whispered darkly, a shadow passing over him. The gliding man turned slowly, Ichigo shrinking away, moving across the room to avoid his gaze. '…in secrecy huh?'

'Don't worry Gin…I know. We know you're there. We know you can hear us…Kurosaki Ichigo.' the man turned, Ichigo's eyes widening in horror as the man turned, his eyes burning into Ichigo's own. With a flash of lightning, Ichigo was cast out of his vision and fell hard back onto the floor of his sister's bedroom, the note in Karin's hand fluttering down into his own, lightning and rain cracking outside, the boy leaping up, sweat dripping along his cheek. The note opened in his palm and a cryptic message lay on it, his eyes skimming across Karin's scrawled handwriting.

'**Don't let it get us Ichi-nii, don't let the monster get us.'**

Startled, Ichigo looked up at her, the girl still sound asleep, another crack of lightning causing him to jump. Without thinking, he picked her up in his arms, Yuzu too, the two of them wrapped in a blanket. Grimacing under the weight, he was thankful for all his training as he crashed out of the house, dashing through the storm. He kept his head down, he knew where he was going. The rain splashed upon him, the girl's beginning to twitch as he tried to cover them with his body.

'_Don't worry, Karin, Yuzu. I won't let the monster get you. How this is happening I don't know. How you seem to have realised something is wrong, I don't know. What I am seeing, I don't know. But I do know one thing. I will protect you. I will go to Soul Society._' he thought to himself as he stopped sharply in front of Urahara's shop, rapping on the door with his foot. A light flicked on and Kisuke opened the door, yawning.

'Kurosaki-san?' he said, surprised. 'I thought I told you to…' he began, looking down suddenly at the girls. Instantly, his expression changed and he moved aside, Ichigo taking them inside and setting them down.

* * *

'You would never involve them unless it were serious. What happened?' Urahara asked, preparing a hot drink for Ichigo. Shaking his head, Ichigo didn't say a word but Kisuke nodded in reply and set the cup down on the table, staying silent. 'So, are you ready?' he asked, Ichigo nodding.

'Is it alright if they stay here while I'm gone? I don't think my house is safe anymore.' the boy said hoarsely, his throat dry as he sipped the drink. Urahara nodded.

'Of course.' he said sternly. Standing up, he pulled his cane out from behind him, his green haori whipping around him. Tipping his hat, he pulled open the door to the underground training room, gesturing for Ichigo to go in.

'I take it you remember everything?' he asked, Kurosaki nodding. Urahara smiled at him, grinning from under his hat. 'Good.'

'Thank you Urahara-san. I'll be back as soon as possible.' Ichigo whispered, a sad look on his face as he prepared to leap into the underground. 'I have to get to the bottom of this. If for nothing else, then for my sisters.' he began but stopped as the door flung open, Orihime, Uryu and Sado stepping in.

'What about if we do it for you?' Uryu grinned, pushing his glasses up his nose, Ichigo's face lighting up, though he still had that defeated look about him.

'Guys…' he smiled softly, Orihime grinning at him, the life back in her eyes, Sado giving him a thumbs up. Urahara chuckled, standing before them all.

'Well if this isn't a nostalgic sight. Alright you guys…I think it's time to move.'


	5. Insanity

**Hey everyone, sorry this took so long but my laptop had another virus -_-" anyway, hope you enjoy it! Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter Illidan the Half Demon, TheDarkSlayer, Zangetsu50, hitsugayatoshirou1220, ichigos future wife, fuzzibunniez and shadowgouf! Please keep reviewing :D**

The sun shimmered as it rose above the Repentance Cell, glistening over the tip of the white tower. The clouds were thin and almost non existent as they drifted lazily past, the shadows of the towers passing over the lowly areas of Rukongai. Ichigo stepped out of a Senkaimon, looking around, the cool wind blowing through his hair. Narrowing his eyes, he breathed the deep, cold air and scoffed, looking around.

'_Nothing's changed on the outside…but the inside is rotten to a new level._' Ichigo thought to himself, Inoue, Uryu and Sado stepping out of the portal behind him, the brilliant light disappearing in a flash. Eyeing the districts of Rukongai, Kurosaki leapt down a bright green hillside, the contrasting views always amazing him. Where he stood was luscious, emerald green, but a few feet below were dirty brown buildings, only to be overshadowed by colossal towers of imposing authority. Ichigo landed in the district and began to sprint towards the gate, using his Shunpo to speed forwards, thick brown dust shooting up around him.

'_I have to find out what the hell's going on…_' Ichigo thought, the others waiting behind listlessly.

Orihime tilted her head and looked over at Uryu, the man rearranging his glasses.

'Ishida-kun, how are we going to catch him?' she asked, Uryu instructing her to grasp a hold of his wrist. Telling her that his Hirenkyaku is far superior to Shunpo and they will have no trouble catching up. She took hold of his wrist and they turned to Sado, but the man was already speeding after Ichigo. In a flash, everyone was outside the gate, Ichigo looking around defiantly.

'Yo! Open up!' the boy yelled, looking around. Grasping his zanpakuto hilt in one hand, he took another step forwards when Orihime suddenly cried out, Kurosaki looking up in shock as something enormous fell from the sky, engulfed in a plume of dust and dirt as it landed with a thunderous crash.

'J…Jidanbo!?' Uryu choked, the giant rising, his axes glinting in the intense sunlight.

'Who goes there? Who dares walk up to my gate?' he boomed, looking down at the group, peering at them through beady eyes. Ichigo's eyes widened as the man spoke. Jidanbo raised an axe into the air and brought it down with a hefty grunt, Ichigo rolling aside, narrowly escaping the weapon.

'Hey! It's me! Ichigo Kurosaki, I broke your axes?' the boy shouted, the giant swinging at him again. Uryu readied his bow but Ichigo landed next to him, the two of them passing one another. 'It's no good. We're just gonna have to break through the gate.' he said, Uryu nodding. The two of them vanished in a flash as Jidanbo swung his weapons like pendulums at the group, Ichigo appearing on one side of his head, the Quincy on the other. Holding his weapon out, a blue light collected on Kurosaki's blade, an arrow building up within Uryu's bow as they sped towards the enemy. Suddenly, Ichigo clutched his chest in agony and fell to the ground hard, rolling across the dirt. Looking down reflexively, the Quincy was hit out of the sky by a massive hand, the other one picking up Ichigo's whimpering body, his hand clutching his shihakusho.

'_I should have told Urahara-san about what I saw. It's obvious Jidanbo knows us, but the effects of Kyoka Suigetsu are crushing his mind. I just…I just need to discover what these visions mean._' Ichigo thought to himself as he was lifted into the air.

'Puny invader! No one has ever broken through the might of Jidanbo!' the man roared, Ichigo struggling to even hear him through the pain that was now pulsing through his head. Feeling faint, Ichigo choked, the pain exploding now. He clutched his forehead, but suddenly opened his eyes weakly, a warm feeling around him as he was surrounded by a beautiful, soft orange glow. On the ground, Orihime held out her hands, her eyes focused on the boy. He smiled meekly at her before looking down at his chest. It was jagged, strange protrusions coming from the centre of his sternum. They were emanating a low purple.

'_What the…? Has Inoue's_ _Shun Shun Rikka done this?_' Ichigo wondered, reaching out to touch them before he was quickly cast to the ground, the orange shield shattering, shards of glowing light fluttering around him as he fell, his eyes closed loosely.

'You are boring!' Jidanbo bellowed, standing tall over the boy, overwhelming him as the pain struck back, searing through Ichigo's body. In an instant, Uryu was in front of the fallen Shinigami, his bow and arrow pointed up at Jidanbo's face. The giant attempted to swat the Quincy aside with a furious blow. 'Only one to a duel!' At that, Ichigo was standing, one hand on his heart, the other hanging by his side, his zanpakuto in his hand. Shaking himself down, he stood, his head falling back with a dark chuckle.

'You don't realise…how much crap I've been through…in the last few days…I don't need you standing in the way!' Ichigo roared, swinging his zanpakuto at the enemy, a blue light bursting from the metal when he saw nothing but black as a hand came soaring into his chest, Jidanbo sending him flying.

'Kurosaki-kun!' Orihime cried, Ichigo hitting the floor with a sickening crunch, his head rolling back as he cursed himself in his head.

'_What was that? I got hit…badly…I don't understand. It's like I can't see. The pain is blinding. No…no, maybe it's not the pain. I'm not the type of loser who'd blame it all on physical pain. Perhaps…it's Rukia. Being so close to where she died…it's taking its effect._' Ichigo thought to himself as the rest of his body hit the ground and he felt something roll from his chest pocket. It was almost in slow motion as he looked up, the small, almost weightless burlap bag unravelling and opening, his eyes widening as he looked in. Then, he lost it.

'GAAAAAAAAARGH!' he roared, screaming, writhing in his place on the ground as his eyes were fixed on whatever was in the bag, a brilliantly piercing purple light erupting from the small sack. Ichigo attempted to grab his face, his teeth clenched his he shrieked again, this time the sound of a Hollow rattling from deep within his throat. The world was distorting around him as he cried some more, an image of himself as small boy crying over the body of his mother coming into his mind. There was blood everywhere, splashes of red on his face, on his hands. Their father wasn't at home at the time, so those splashes didn't come off for days. For those days, Ichigo would sit alone in his dark room, staring at the blood on his fingers. Another image suddenly tore into his head, that of his mother's mangled corpse that was never retrieved from the riverside.

'DAMN IT, DAMN IT!' he gargled, the bag emitting a strange whispering noise now which filled his ears, a horrible bell chiming in his ear as he fell on his knees, the picture of his mother filling every conceivable corner of his brain now when, almost in an instant, the bag was whipped away and closed in a flash, the purple light sucked back into it, a silhouette stooping down in front of him and slapping him rudely across the face.

'Eurgh you fool! You were told not to open this!' came a squeaky voice as Ichigo's blurry eyes began to come into focus, the lumbering figure of Jidanbo lying on his front, his face planted into the ground, his arms tied behind his back with a winding pair of golden chain like ropes. Ichigo looked up at the man who saved him, the burlap bag clutched tightly in his bone white hand and he was gesturing to Ichigo's friends. Turning back to Kurosaki, he sighed heavily.

'Oh for…are you still on the ground!?' he squealed, hoisting the substitute Shinigami to his feet.

* * *

Waking up to a dark room, Ichigo rubbed his eyes and looked around at everyone, his friends staring at him.

'Hey guys…what's wrong?' he asked lamely.

'You are what is wrong, Kurosaki Ichigo.' came a voice and a light switched on, the sound of whirring generators powering up. The room was a long corridor of tubes and glass containers filled with strange, viscous substances, some green, some red, some colours Ichigo had never even seen before. Stains covered the white tile flooring and the room looked like a dirty hospital, what with the equipment strewn about across sinks and table tops. Either that or an asylum. Hauntingly, a cryptic message of '**Not even the Captains can save us now**' was engraved into the wall over one bed, blood stained into the markings. Overhead, some of the lights were rusty and didn't work, or they'd flicker on and off. On one desk was a body bag, full and done up, something dripping from the top corner. The sound of footsteps echoed down into the room and everyone looked up as a man stepped in, his hands clasped together, one blue nail far longer than the rest, his haori flapping behind him.

'M…' Ichigo stuttered as the Shinigami pushed past his friends and leaned creepily over the boy. '…Mayuri Kurotsuchi!' he gasped.

'That's right. Glad you came to that conclusion and not some half witted, moronic, imbecilic, idiotic assumption that I was, perhaps, someone else…' the man whispered, grinning suspiciously.

'W…what did you just say?' Ichigo asked.

'That's right, you heard me. I know all about what is going on. Every single Shinigami is now under the complete control of Kyoka Suigetsu. As much as I hate to admit it, that fool, Kisuke Urahara was right; I did have to wait around for you, to make sure you didn't die against Jidanbo.' Mayuri explained, whisking himself around the operating bed. Twiddling his fingers, the scientist chuckled.

'Ah well, your job's done, correct? You…sort of, delivered the bag to me at long last, get out of here…' the captain began before stopping short and giggling. '…but we're not done are we? You want to know why Miss Kuchiki died and why you keep getting strange visions and pains. I can assure you, I don't know. Yet. Any other questions?' he asked, Ichigo nodding.

'Yeah…why aren't you affected by Aizen's sword?' Ichigo asked weakly.

'You insolent boy. Do you think a mind such as mine would continue to be effected by such a primitive trick of the eyes? Ha! I spit on 'absolute hypnosis' as if it were a plague upon men. Nothing is absolute and if it is close it can always be thrown right back at it.' Mayuri explained. 'You see, by heightening the power of the Superhuman Drug, my senses far outweigh the power of Kyoka Suigetsu. Naturally taking a large dose is dangerous so I have to keep applying it.'

'Why is everyone else still unable to break the spell then?' Ishida spat, his anger still boiling at the captain. Turning to face him directly, Mayuri seethed at the boy.

'Because there's only enough for me Quincy.' leered the Shinigami. Returning to Ichigo, he pointed at the boy's shihakusho. 'Remove it.' he said simply. Ichigo looked at the man oddly, Mayuri raising an eyebrow, or he would if they were there.

'What the hell is wrong with you boy?' Kurotsuchi snapped. 'Remove the top half of your damn shihakusho!'

'Why!?' Ichigo cried, Mayuri's face darkening.

'You were doing something whilst facing the horrors of that bag. I want to see what.' he whispered, but Kurosaki didn't move. Sighing, the scientist grabbed one of his sleeves and hoisted it up, a sudden shocked look on his face at what he saw. Orihime covered her mouth, Ishida gasping, Sado looking away.

'What the…how did…?' Ichigo stammered as he looked along his arm. Engraved in his arm were symbols, glowing purple, each one representing a Japanese letter. His arm felt heavy to lift and he cursed, lowering it again. 'I can't make it out.'

Mayuri studied the wounds intently before rubbing his chin.

'Yes this is most interesting. I believe substitute Shinigami, that one of the words you have spelled out here is…'Hogyoku'.' Mayuri exclaimed, everyone's eyes widening at the mention of the orb. 'Yes. What you have written here does indeed have something to do with the death of Rukia Kuchiki.' the Shinigami declared, Ichigo clenching his fist and standing up suddenly, Orihime leaping back a little bit.

'Then get to it doc. Translate the whole thing so we can figure out just what the hell is going on in this place.' Ichigo said, a look of determination now in his face.

'It won't be that simple. When Jidanbo is inevitably freed of Sajo Sabaku he will tell all of your arrival. It will be just like you fool's first time here. Except much more dangerous.' Mayuri said, Ichigo nodding. 'Also…to truly understand and decipher what you have written, you will need more text than that I am sure. Therefore…I may need you to look in the bag again Kurosaki.'

'What the hell is in there?' he asked, a disgruntled tone in his voice.

'I don't know. Only that idiot Urahara does. You will have to find out for us, substitute Shinigami.' the man asked, Ichigo's eyes firmly fixed on the bag before he nodded at last and clenched his fists.

'Okay…I'll do it. Whatever I need to do.'


	6. Worry

**Here we go, chapter six! Thanks again guys for a fantastic response, hope you keep enjoying the fic! Thanks to Illidan the Half Demon, hitsugayatoshirou1220, DarkIsRising, TheDarkSlayer, shadowgouf, Zangetsu50, ichigos future wife and fuzzibunniez! Thank you all and please keep going! :D**

The doors slid open slowly and silently. A Shinigami officer made their way down the wooden corridor, the trees outside rustling in the wind as he placed his hand on one of the support beams, the howling air catching his black locks, flinging them around his face. Looking out across the delicately tendered gardens, the man kept inside the corridor, almost as if he were in hiding. The sixth squad insignia was emblazoned on the wooden floorboard and they glistened under the sunlight, the Shinigami looking at a sole cherry blossom tree in front of him, the final, lone petal dropping from it's branches and landing on the grass below.

'Rukia…' Byakuya whispered, turning his head to look up at the Repentance Cell, the sunlight blinding from behind the tower. '…the cell is shrouded by the sun. It feels like something is tightening its grip as well. It feels…like my gazing into the sun, is like something is covering another thing. What is going on here…?' turning, Byakuya made his way down the corridor, his eyes darting behind him every few steps. '…why did you die, Rukia?'

* * *

Ichigo and the others stepped into the heart of the Seireitei, looking around them. Silence. There wasn't another Shinigami in sight. Making their way to the centre of the area, they looked around again, making sure.

'What the hell…?' Ichigo wondered, scratching his head. '…where is everyone?' he asked, Uryu stepping up to him, placing a hand on Kurosaki's shoulder.

'What did Kurotsuchi ask you to do?' asked the Quincy, the wind running through his hair.

'He told me to try and activate those chest pains again so as to write more but…how the hell do I do that?' the boy said, puzzled. Uryu shrugged, Sado following suit. Orihime however looked away nervously, Ichigo tilting his head to the girl. He walked over to her, looking down at her, unsure as the girl continually looked aside.

'Something wrong, Inoue?' he asked.

'Nothing, Kurosaki-kun!' she chuckled, but it was weak and clearly faked, Ichigo raising an eyebrow. Defeated, she sighed and held out her hands, her hairpiece shimmering in the light. 'It's just…when I used my powers on you…that thing…in your chest, it made you go crazy.'

'Eh? No it didn't. Looking into the bag did, but Mayuri-san has that now.' Ichigo reminded her, the girl nodding listlessly.

'Oh, yeah, it did, didn't it?' she beamed unusually. Ichigo came round in front of her, his brown eyes piercing her own.

'Inoue…if there's something you need to say…' he began, the girl beginning to whimper, before tears sparkled in her eyes, droplets running down her cheeks, the girl shuddering as Ichigo looked suddenly surprised, looking to the others for help. In a flash, she had her arms round his shoulders and she was sobbing, Kurosaki leaping backwards a little, a shocked look on his face before he matured and looked on with a sympathetic gleam in his eye, resting a single hand on her back.

'Inoue…you gotta say.' Ichigo sighed, his eyes full of calm and the peacefulness aura she needed at the moment. He felt her grip at his shihakusho as she began to speak, her hair matting on her forehead.

'Kurosaki-kun…it isn't the bag…the bag didn't make you go crazy and start writing!' she wheezed, her voice caught, trapped in her throat as she choked on her tears. Ichigo looked at her shocked, his eyes wide with surprise.

'Miss Inoue…' Ishida stammered. '…what do you mean?'

'I…I…used my Shun Shun Rikka on you…and it brought out that thing on your chest and you…you…' she looked up at him, her eyes bloodshot with tears. She rubbed her eyes dry and sniffed, Ichigo still staring at the girl in shock. The memory of it came back to him and he watched her closely.

_It was jagged, strange protrusions coming from the centre of his sternum. They were emanating a low purple._

_'What the…? Has Inoue's Shun Shun Rikka done this?'_

'You're saying…I went crazy after you did that? That's not possible…I remember Jidanbo threw me before the bag opened and then it all happened…' Ichigo thought back, Orihime shaking her head.

'Ichigo…that's not what happened at all, what are you talking about? I wondered why you guys were shouting Jidanbo…' she whispered, Ichigo backing up a bit. '…Jidanbo was never there.' she explained, Ichigo and the others gasping in shock.

'Inoue…what do you mean?' Sado mumbled, the girl turning to him, a worried expression on her face.

'You guys…you were fighting someone else…I didn't see their face, they were wearing a hooded cloak…I was too afraid to say anything…' she simpered before beginning to cry again, her head in her hands, her back lurching with every cry.

'Impossible.' Uryu began, but Ichigo shook his head.

'Kyoka Suigetsu. It had to be.' he exclaimed, Orihime placing her hand on his arm, the boy turning sharply to face her again.

'That's not all, Kurosaki-kun…the bag never opened, it fell to the ground after the man hit you, I tried to help you with Shun Shun Rikka, but you suddenly went crazy as I caused those things in your chest to appear…' she mumbled. They were all silent. It was a distinctly stunned silence. Finally, Ishida broke the awkwardness.

'So the bag has never been looked in? Ichigo wrote those things on his arm…from looking at nothing? Then…he must have done it from his own mind, right?' Uryu wondered, looking oddly over at Ichigo. The boy didn't answer, instead, something else came into his head.

'Wait a second. Didn't Mayuri-san say he wasn't affected by Kyoka Suigetsu? Then how comes he said Jidanbo? He said when Jidanbo is free of Sajo Sabaku.' Ichigo remembered, Uryu nodding.

'We have to go and see him again. But first…' Ichigo declared, turning to Orihime, a frightened look on the girl's face. '…I need you to use your powers again. I want to…understand more.' he said, a twinkle in his eye. But, Inoue simply turned away, clutching her hands to her heart.

'I…I want to, Kurosaki-kun. My head tells me to, to help us along with this…but, my heart tells me no. I don't want to hurt Kurosaki-kun, after all the times he has helped me. You saved me, from Sora, from Grimmjow, from Ulquiorra, from Aizen…I know I say this a lot, but I have been useless and my dream has been to help you, Kurosaki-kun, like you do for me. I won't hurt you. I won't do it.' she said, a weak, confused smile on her face as she turned to face him, the water still in her eyes as she put on a brave face for them, the wind catching her orange hair and blowing it towards Ichigo who stood in shock, his face blank. Finally, he grinned, straightening up and staring into her face, chuckling.

'Alrighty, if that's what you want, Inoue.' he smiled warmly, rubbing the back of his head, a look of appreciation and, the look of an impressed man on his face, Orihime beaming back at him with all her might as she dashed back over to them. 'Okay, to Mayuri!' Ichigo cried and the four of them turned and went back the way they came, new questions unfolding as new answers burst up. As they walked, Ichigo looked over at Orihime, a sad look now on his face.

'_You've really gotten stronger, Inoue. I know you well now. I know you could have stood up to Ulquiorra, I know you could have defied Aizen…but never me. Well done, Inoue._' Suddenly, Ichigo gasped for air, falling to his knees, the group surrounding him in shock. Coughing, he looked up, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the sky.

'What…is happening?' he spluttered, the group helping him up and making their way quickly to the twelfth division.

* * *

Mayuri was tinkering over some bottles, eyeing a green substance starting to bubble and froth. It began to fizz over the top, so furiously and so loudly that he didn't hear the lab door close behind him. Placing the bottle down on the desk with a clink of glass, he sighed, massaging his temples.

'Why doesn't it ever work? Nemu? Nemu!' he snapped, waving his hands about in the air, unable to hear the sound of dripping blood over his own voice. Waving the woman off, the scientist returned to his work, placing some goggles over his eyes, unable then to notice the shadow pass overhead. He smashed aside some glasses, the sound of their shattered shards like rain on the floor, making way for a scroll of paper.

'What the hell have I missed?' he wondered, scratching his chin. Running his finger across the paper, he moved his other hand strangely, cracking his wrist before clutching a thin test tube in between his spindly fingers. 'Nemu!' he screeched again, turning round sharply and slamming his goggles on the desk. The room was dark, almost pitch black save for the light on his table. Making his way slowly through the darkness, he stepped carefully over the broken shards of glass, pushing his way through hanging wires and crackling electricity before coming to a wall on the far side of the room. All he could ear was the sound of his breath and the pounding of his heart. His hand reached out to flick the light switch, but he hovered almost for an instant, as if hesitating, for some reason, about what he might see.

Finally, he flicked on the switch. And he couldn't even take in a breath. In front of him, was Nemu. Or at least, her head was. Draped along the white floor was a sickening sight, a river of blood almost, her arms thrown across the room, the sound of the dripping blood running across the desk and from the corner. From the ceiling hung her organs, Mayuri looking up in complete bewilderment, what had happened unregistered right now. Making a dash for the door, he pushed past his equipment, launching it across the room. He ran, turning his head, facing the door, the light peeking in through the cracks. As he ran, his breathing became faster and faster, the pace increased and suddenly he heard a glass smash behind him and, for some reason, he turned. Then, it pounced on him and the lights disappeared.


	7. Foreboding

**Hey guys, I was a little unsure about uploading right now as the last chapter didn't do so well, but here it is anyway. Thank you to the reviewers shadowgouf, Illidan the Half Demon, hitsugayatoshirou1220 and fuzzibunniez. Everyone, please review, thank you and enjoy :D**

Ichigo and the others made their way to the front entrance of Kurotsuchi Mayuri's laboratory. The door was slightly ajar, an ominous, red substance etched into the handle, the remains of said handle snapped off and on the floor. Ichigo stepped up the door and tried to push it open, but something appeared to be blocking it on the other side.

'Damn, it won't budge. We're gonna have to find ano-…' he began but Sado rushed past him, his white and red armoured arm outstretched behind him, his fingers closing into a fist.

'El…' he began, swinging his arm round for a punch. '…Directo!' he roared, his fist connecting with the door. At first there was nothing. It seemed anti-climatic. Ichigo was ready to turn around and go when suddenly there was a splitting sound and he looked closer, Sado removing his fist. Instantly, the man turned round, the door behind him exploding into hundreds of chunks, raining down behind his back, dust swallowing them up, mixed with the green reiatsu that had left Sado's hand. Finally, the dirt whipped away into the sky and Ichigo nodded to Sado, the man taking his place behind Kurosaki's back again. With that, they entered the room. It was pitch black, even with the sunlight now flooding in. Ichigo kicked an over turned table out of the way, the sound of it crashing into a wall echoing across the sky.

'What the hell?' Kurosaki asked, looking around. Uryu found a light switch and flicked, the same, generator powered thunderous noise roaring as the overhead lights exploded into life. Looking around, they gasped in horror, Orihime covering her mouth, the tears almost welling up again. Ichigo stood in shock at the blood dripping from the walls, streaks of red across the floor, as if someone had been strewn along.

'Looks like someone got here first.' Uryu commented, taking another step into the abyss. Taking a glimpse to the side, he saw a white haori and stepped over some broken glass to it, reaching down. Whipping the cloak off, he gagged and covered his mouth, rearranging his glasses as he ran a hand through his blue hair, barely able to open on eye at the sight. It was the skeletal remains of Mayuri, his flesh chewed up as if it had been serrated by something, a purple glow emanating from his body. Beneath him was a pool of blood and Ishida turned to the others as they approached. He held out his hand, shaking his head.

'Kurosaki, keep Inoue over there.' he warned, the girl ready to protest, but Ichigo didn't look back at her.

'Inoue-san, please?' he asked softly, Orihime reluctantly nodding in agreement. Ichigo and Sado made their way over to Uryu, looking down on the sickening sight.

'It's definitely him. Although how we can tell that through this I don't know. It's like he has been cut by a serrated cleaver…and a big one at that.' Ishida whispered, not allowing Orihime to hear. Turning to the smashed desk at the front of the room, Uryu pointed over to it. 'The burlap sack is gone as well…' he added.

'Someone must be on our trail. Either that or they're afraid we're on theirs.' Ichigo agreed, turning to go back to Inoue who was standing by the doorway, looking out at the Seireitei's blue sky, birds flying overhead. She span round to him, looking up at the boy expectantly, but he shook his head.

'You wouldn't want to know.' he said immediately, the girl sighing.

'You make me want to know all the more by saying that.' she replied, turning back to look out again. 'Kurosaki-kun…why is this happening? More deaths? I thought you beat Aizen…' she asked, unsure of what was truly going on.

'I'm just as uncertain as you, Inoue. I thought we did beat him, who knows. So far there are so many unanswered questions.' he then looked up at the sky, leaving the girl on a tantalising cliff hanger. '_I can't tell her, or them about anything I've seen. Ichimaru, that man appearing in the Repentance Cell…was it Aizen? It looked a little like him, and he said it was his sword but…if so, how is he alive, and why does he look like that?_' Ichigo thought to himself, shaken out of his thought by Sado's enormous bear like hand crashing down on his shoulder.

'Where to?' he asked bluntly. Ichigo took one last look over at Uryu who was still staring at the body. Something suddenly caught the Quincy's eye, a glass bottle, held tight in the grip of the dead captain's hand. In it, was a fizzing green liquid.

'Yo, Ishida, let's move!' he heard Ichigo call to him. Looking back at them, the group had already left the laboratory, Uryu pocketed the substance and followed the others out of that hellish room. Stepping outside, Ichigo clasped his forehead, choking, Orihime running over to him.

'Kurosaki-kun!' she cried, but he held her off momentarily, letting it flourish.

'Now what're you up to…?' Ichigo said to himself, letting his mind flood with the vision.

_Ichimaru Gin stepped out of the Repentance Cell door, looking up into the sky, shielding his eyes from the Sun, chuckling to himself. Reaching to his side, he unsheathed his zanpakuto and prepared to walk along the long, rickety bridge that hung across the highest points of Seireitei._

Ichigo thrust his head up and stood to his feet, gripping the hilt of his zanpakuto in his hands.

'The Repentance Cell. We have to get there, now!' he ordered, the group nodding behind him, preparing to leave.

* * *

Gin strode along the bridge, twirling his zanpakuto in his hand. He whistled to himself before stopping suddenly, smirking nastily. In a flash, Ichigo and the others had bounded over the railings of the bridge and landed in front of him, Kurosaki brandishing his sword in front of him. Ichimaru held up his hands in a mock surrender, before lowering them again and advancing menacingly on Ichigo.

'Well now, Kurosaki Ichigo. What are ya kids up to this time?' he chuckled, the group standing their ground.

'I know you know what the hell is going on. Why am I feeling these chest pains?' Ichigo barked, Gin tilting his head patronisingly.

'Chest pains? Well then I guess it is working after all.' he sneered, Ichigo readying his blade, snarling at the man, Gin waving his hand at him flamboyantly. 'Ya know I'm surprised ya can even see me.' he said, scratching his head. 'I suppose Cap'n Aizen is going nice on y'all.' he decided, peering over the side of the bridge, stroking his chin dreamily.

'But I guess Kyoka Suigetsu will come back into effect soon.' he added, Uryu stepping forwards.

'So Aizen is alive.' he exclaimed, Gin shrugging loosely.

'I guess ya could say that. Or not.' the man eyed Ichigo suddenly, vanishing and reappearing in front of the boy, grasping his forearm and throwing the kimono's sleeve off it, the purple markings visible now to everyone. Slowly, Gin opened his blood red eyes, scanning over the letters. Ichigo gasped for breath, the pain shocking him to his core. All he could do was look up in breathless agony at the villain as he read on, Ichigo sinking to his knees, the sky distorting around them as Gin clutched his arm tighter. Suddenly, there was a flash of blue and Ichimaru leapt up into the air, landing softly on the bridge again, Uryu holding out his bow, aiming it at the enemy, Gin's white coat billowing around him furiously in the wind.

'Inoue, please, heal Kurosaki. I'll take care of him.' Uryu asked, the girl looking nervously down at Ichigo, the boy down on one knee, one hand grasping the railings, the other holding his chest, both eyes on their foe.

'I…' she began, looking away from Ichigo, remembering what happened last time.

'Inoue…' came a voice and she looked down, Kurosaki grinning, still facing Uryu. '…I know what you're thinking. Don't worry about it. I'm fine.' he reassured her, standing to his feet.

Meanwhile, Gin faced Uryu, the boy sternly looking down his opponent.

'Hoo…aren't you feisty. Ya know, I can't kill Kurosaki-kun for certain reasons…but you guys are nothin'.' Ichimaru whispered dangerously, the wind picking up around them, the man holding his wakizashi out to the side, looking up at the Quincy, shadows covering his face. In a flash, Gin's sword flew at Uryu, the boy ducking beneath it, vanishing quickly, appearing again on the railings, teetering thousands of metres above Soul Society. He was poised to fire, an arrow aimed straight for Ichimaru's face. However, as he had expected, Gin's zanpakuto came flying back at him and he leapt over it, dashing now to the enemy, his path clear.

'Licht…' he began, a bright blue light building up on his bow as Gin retracted his sword in the blink of an eye. '…Regen!' Ishida cried, unleashing a barrage of arrows into the opponent, Ichimaru disappearing beneath a glow of rapidly increasing blue. Suddenly, Gin's sword burst forth from the light, rocketing towards Uryu, the Quincy diving past it.

'I'm not done…' Uryu growled, but his eyes widened as he cursed his ignorance. The blade screamed towards Inoue, Gin leaping over the Quincy.

'You may not be, but I'm afraid she is.' Ichimaru chuckled, but he came to a screeching halt as his sword was blocked suddenly by Sado's defensive arm. It was cracking slightly at the point of impact, but the man pushed forwards, sweating slightly.

'Sado…' Uryu whispered, looking at the man in shock as Gin's sword retracted, the man turning away from them and making his way back towards the towering Repentance Cell. The sunlight was shimmering from the sides and it cast an enormous shadow down upon them all, Kurosaki standing, his blade gleaming in the light.

'Hold on a sec guys…' Ichigo said, the two turning to look at him as he raised his sword. Gin was walking away, the pathway narrow, the perfect aim as Ichigo stared down at him. Slowly, Ichimaru turned his head, an evil leer on his face as he grinned at the boy. Ichigo snapped and held his sword high above his head. '…Getsuga…' he began, the blue light building up on the blade when, all of a sudden, the wall facing them of the Repentance Cell exploded violently, Gin disappearing in the plume of smoke and dirt that came piling out of it, a red light flashing out of the hole, explosions going off in the small sections next to it. The barrelling smoke ran across the bridge, Ichigo and the others covering their faces, debris flying at them. Orihime held out her hands and summoned a bright, orange shield, the chunks of stone crashing into it and rebounding off and over the bridge, small cracks forming in the light as each hit. Eventually, the torrent of smoke became too much and everyone vanished into it, Ichigo choking, looking around. Suddenly, amidst the chaos, something caught his eye and he looked up, dazed. In the hole created by the explosion, a figure stood, wrapped in a black hooded cloak. Ichigo couldn't make out his face but the shadowy figure grinned.

'Is that…?' Ichigo spluttered.

_'You guys…you were fighting someone else…I didn't see their face, they were wearing a hooded cloak…I was too afraid to say anything…' she simpered before beginning to cry again, her head in her hands, her back lurching with every cry._

Waving to him, the figure vanished into thin air, Ichigo reaching out.

'Wait!' the boy cried when he was drowned out by another explosion, the smoke rising into the air, chunks of rock and stone flinging outwards. As the deafening crashes began to wear down, Ichigo removed his arm from over his eyes and looked around at the scene. There were enormous shards of rock and stone littered on the bridge, one section of it smashed in half. Uryu was down on the ground, Sado's arm over him, the shield covering them both. Ichigo looked around and stood up, clicking his arm.

'Is everyone alright?' he asked, Uryu and Sado nodding. 'What about you, Inoue?' he continued, turning round. The girl was gone. Ichigo began to look about frantically, even staring over the edge of the bridge. Then, something twinkled in the corner of his eye. It was one of Orihime's hair pins, lying in a small spatter of blood on the ground. Rushing, he picked it up, looking at it in disbelief in his hand.

'Inoue…?' he whispered, clutching it in his palm and looking up into the sky. 'Inoue!' he roared, sinking to his knees. 'INOUE!'


	8. Desire

**Okay guys, I know the chapters have been seeing a bit of downturn, so i'm doing my best now to bring you what you want :D Thank you everyone for your interest and thank you TheDarkSlayer, Illidan the Half Demon, fuzzibunniez, Zangetsu50 and ichigos future wife! ^^**

Orihime's eyes fluttered open and she looked around, lifting her head up slightly. Almost instantly, her hair was caught by a ferocious breeze and she clambered to her feet dreamily, her eyelids heavy. She took a small, staggered step forwards and fell forwards, floating off of the edge of an enormous tower in the Seireitei. She looked down, the floor a churning ocean of jagged black reiatsu.

'_This reiatsu…_' she thought to herself, falling from the tower. The girl braced herself for impact, slamming into the sea of darkness, only to be caught and nestled like a net. Relaxing, she sighed, before suddenly being dropped, the reiatsu shattering around her like glass, shards of it falling around her. Opening her eyes and screaming, she looked down at herself as she fell, now dressed in the outfit she wore in Hueco Mundo, her white coat billowing out around her. She plunged into some water, cool and blue, bubbles rising up around her. Swimming to the surface, she saw the ripple of the sun on the outside and reached up through the water, bursting out, climbing up a small wall that cordoned off the water. When she was firmly atop it, she turned round and looked down, finding herself back atop the gigantic tower of Soul Society.

'This…this is the Repentance Cell!' she choked, staggering to keep her balance.

'Ya, and if yer not careful, y'all just might slip…' came a sinister voice and someone walked down from the sky, as if descending from heaven. Orihime looked up as Ichimaru strode towards her, his coat wrapping around him due to the wind, the villainous grin fixated on his face. '…after all, that's all it takes.'

'Y…you…how did I get up here?' she asked defiantly, clutching her fists. 'Where's Kurosaki-kun, is he alright?'

'Wowie, ya sure aren't as pathetic as ya were before are you?' Gin whistled, tilting his head. 'Standin' up ter lil old me.' Gin smiled, turning away from her. He looked around and tapped the top of the tower with his foot, murmuring to himself. 'Ya want some answers then ey? I guess he won't mind givin' them ter ya. Yo, ya can come out now! Looks like Kyoka Suigetsu wore off!' Gin called out, the wind howling suddenly, Orihime shuddering.

'Kyoka…Suigetsu?' she whispered. Then, the tip of the tower began to resonate a brilliant violet, rippling slowly as a man emerged from the top, his body covered in purple branches and vines, some of them latching onto his face and running through his brown hair. The girl looked up at him in awe as he rose, his arms outstretched. 'A…A…' she spluttered, the man coming to a stop, lowering his head down to her level. '…Aizen!' she gasped, the man grinning, the vines crawling across his face.

'Hello, Inoue Orihime.' he whispered, his voice echoing slightly as the wind blew past them.

'But you're…'

'Dead? Yes. Yes I am. I lost the war and only Gin here escaped the fury…right?' Aizen smirked, lowering himself down to the shaking girl, stroking her face with his finger. She lurched, a smooth purple line crossing over her cheek.

'W…what's going on?' she whispered, clutching her face, a horrible, throbbing pain suddenly tearing into her.

'Wouldn't you like to become like me, Inoue? Like a God?' he asked, his voice channelling into her mind now, the girl fixated on the purple vines crawling along his body, holding him up. 'Yes, my physical body was destroyed, but I thrived. I coursed still in the Hogyoku!' he exclaimed, raising his hands into the sky, Inoue shaking her head, backing away from him, only to stumble and turn, a small pebble plummeting to the ground below.

'Come now Inoue. We wouldn't want you to fall and have little Kurosaki pick up the pieces from the floor below.' Aizen sneered, swooping around the girl and pushing her further into the middle of the tower.

'How did you live…how can anyone separate their spirit from their body…what are you?' she whispered, pulling her hands to her mouth.

'I am a divine being, one that has ascended so far, that I cast aside my body like a shell. Of course, I barely survived, but I did. The inkling of me that resided inside the Breakdown Sphere after my subduing it remained and, by destroying those close to the orb, I have been able to feed off of their reiatsu and live…' Aizen grinned maliciously, Orihime's eyes widening.

'So…so you ordered Rukia's death…?' she asked, stammering.

'Yes. Seireitei…the entire of Soul Society is under my Kyoka Suigetsu's grip, they'll do anything I ask! They have almost completely forgotten about the human world, leaving Kisuke Urahara and his pathetic gang of layabout Shinigami under pressure to fix it, whilst I kill and grow!' Aizen declared, a gleam of insanity in his eyes.

'You're…you're a monster. Kurosaki-kun…Kurosaki-kun defeated you once and he'll…he'll do it again! Because…' Orihime said softly, looking down at her tightly clenched fist. '…I believe in him.'

Aizen raised an eyebrow at the girl who looked up at him with determination, standing tall, the wind blowing around her fiercely.

'I see.' Sosuke nodded, running a hand through his hair, the sound of the vines crackling in his scalp. 'Kurosaki Ichigo hasn't told you anything has he?' Aizen asked, a pang of sudden realisation hitting Orihime.

'_You wouldn't want to know.' he said immediately, the girl sighing._

'_You make me want to know all the more by saying that.' she replied, turning back to look out again. _

She looked away, sighing to herself, clutching her collar with a dainty hand, Aizen and Gin watching from the backdrop.

'What's the matter? Am I right?' she heard Aizen ask. The girl shook her head, tears sparkling in her eyes as she turned to the man, a defiant smile on her face, the glistening beads of water flowing slowly from her face in the wind.

'No. You're wrong. I'm sure Kurosaki-kun has his own reasons. You may be able to come back to life…but…Kurosaki-kun…will never die…for me. For me, and for his friends. Kill any of us, and it will just make him stronger.' she explained, smiling to herself, chuckling weakly. Standing firmly, she shook her head, wiping away her tears. 'So try and kill me…if you want me, to keep you alive, go. But it won't last…' she said listlessly, Aizen staring at her, the girl locking eyes with him. Eventually, he broke the silence, clapping mockingly at her.

'Well, haven't you grown?' he smiled at her, the girl furrowing her brow. 'I never said I wanted to kill you. I want to keep Ichigo off the right track. You see, only your Shun Shun Rikka can stabilise his Hollow powers and unveil the truth. Don't look like that, you've tried it before, whether or not you realise. You told him you weren't going to reject his wounds anymore, for fear of throwing him into another fit. But…you would eventually. So, I took you away, the one means of him discovering his answers.' Aizen shrugged, as if it were nothing.

'His Hollow powers have nothing to…' she began, Aizen raising a hand.

'But they do, Miss Inoue. But they do. Hollow powers are everything. You'll find out in due time. Or not. Now that Kurotsuchi is dead…' he began, Orihime interrupting again.

'Did he die…to keep you alive too?' she asked, Aizen shaking his head.

'If you'll let me finish. He died so you wouldn't get any answers. I didn't kill him, Gin didn't kill him. He did.' Aizen nodded, the hooded figure suddenly appearing out of the sky behind Gin, landing neatly on the tower next to them, his fist in the ground, his head bowed. As the figure stood, Orihime watched, the dust floating away from around him. He threw off his hood, the girl gasping.

'You - !' she began, but suddenly, Aizen had his hand on her mouth, the girl screaming, her cries muffled.

'Gin.' Aizen said, Ichimaru grasping the girl's arm and pulling it behind her back. Orihime buckled, sweating, her arm cracking. Aizen's eyes pierced her own, the purple light pulsating around him, his hand glowing. Orihime's cheeks began to burn, and she squirmed, her eyes on the figure who removed his hood mainly, Aizen pulling her face back in front of his.

'I am keeping you alive for a reason. Kurosaki will be destroyed by his dreams and his visions…they are all true, at least, the visions are. They are insights into what is going on at that very moment, brought on by the Hogyoku. A piece of my soul now resides within the boy and he will be mine to crush. Soon, everything will be revealed, but for now…' Aizen grinned, removing his hand, the girl's eyes turning purple slowly, covering over as the man outstretched his arms, curling his fingers into fists.

'…you will become mine!' he laughed, the purple light ensnaring Orihime, the girl letting out a brilliant scream before the sky darkened, and it began to rain.

* * *

Ichigo looked around, Uryu and Sado behind him. They staggered around the bridge, looking for any sign of Orihime.

'Damn it!' Ichigo snapped, punching the wall nearby, cracks appearing in the stone. Uryu looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

'That's not going to help Kurosaki.' he mumbled, the orange haired Shinigami sighing heavily and collecting himself. 'Listen…I meant to say this earlier, but I found this in the mad scientist's room.' Uryu revealed, hoisting the small flask from his pocket, the fizzing green liquid bubbling inside. He threw the bottle towards Ichigo and the boy caught it.

'What's the deal with this thing?' Ichigo asked, Uryu rearranging his glasses.

'It's a collection of reiatsu, can't you tell at all?' he demanded, Ichigo shrugging sheepishly. 'Well, whatever the case, it will lead us to the burlap sack. In that laboratory, I noticed traces of a reiatsu I slightly recognised. I couldn't make out who it was, but I'm figuring it was Kurotsuchi's killer. That isn't what's important though. Urahara-san specifically asked you to deliver that bag to Mayuri, right? Well I say the best cause of action now is to get it back to Urahara-san and ask him to tell us what it is. He has a greater mind than most people I know and…' he began, but Ichigo was already shaking his head, making his way down a wooden corridor.

'You think this bottle will find the sack? Be my guest.' Kurosaki said bluntly, flinging the bottle back to Ishida who caught it neatly in the air. 'I don't mind if you guys leave to go back to Urahara, hell, it's probably the right thing to do. Right now, people are disappearing and we haven't a clue what's going on. But…' Ichigo looked up, striding down the walkway, a blue shimmer in his eyes. '…I am not leaving without Inoue. For all we know that bastard Ichimaru took her from the bridge. Or the hooded guy. Whatever. None of it matters either way. She's coming home with us!' Ichigo cried, walking off, the sunlight casting a shadow down onto him as Uryu and Sado looked on at the boy, Uryu grinning.

'Kurosaki…' he chuckled, he and Sado turning the opposite way, bottle in hand. '…_good luck._'


	9. Resistance

**Hey everyone, sorry this is quite late but revising for exams and all...anyways, hope you enjoy! Thank you to reviewers fuzzibunniez, henriette, Illidan the Half Demon, symbion, Zangetsu50 and TheDarkSlayer! Please, everyone else who is reading, please review, thank you :D**

Byakuya Kuchiki left the captain's meeting hall, striding down the flowery wooden walkway, the banners and flags of Soul Society rippling on their posts in the light wind as he made his way past them towards the sixth division barracks. Turning, he glanced up at the Repentance Cell, tilting his head ever so slightly at the enormous, gaping hole in the wall the explosions had caused.

'Rukia…' he whispered. Turning away, the graceful captain continued onwards to his division. It was quiet around. There wasn't a soul in sight. Sighing, the captain stood his ground, turning slightly, eyeing the trees in the background. Narrowing his eyes, he reached down for his zanpakuto.

'Show yourself.' he declared, silence following. Then, there was a rustle. Turning, Kuchiki watched as a cloaked figure stepped out from under a tree, his face hidden beneath his hood. 'Who are you?' asked the Shinigami, the figure reaching for his sleeve. In a flash, he had summoned a zanpakuto in his hand, fiery red reiatsu curling along the blade before forming it completely, the metal gleaming in the sunlight.

'You would draw your zanpakuto? You fool.' Byakuya said, stepping forwards towards the enemy. 'Are you a match for me now? Can you defeat me?' however, before he could move, the figure had appeared behind him, swinging outwards with his blade. Byakuya was gone, appearing atop the roof, the tiles clattering under feet.

'Too slow. You always were.' Byakuya whispered, but his eyes widened as the figure appeared above him, aiming his finger down at the captain, a bright red ball of light spinning round before unleashing downwards, exploding onto the rooftop, Byakuya pouncing away, bursting from the plume of dust.

'Kido…without the incantation? What are you…?' Byakuya began, skidding backwards across the sky, the figure rocketing towards him, his sword out in front, poised to stab and kill. Byakuya whipped his hand in front of him, a bright yellow beam of light shooting forth and pummelling the opponent, six bars of golden light locking him into place. Byakuya leapt forwards but the foe threw his zanpakuto at the man, Kuchiki dodging and appearing behind his enemy, lunging with his blade.

'You're done.' Byakuya said, closing his eyes. Suddenly however, the figure let out a horrific bellow and glowed a bright purple before shattering the Kido around him with his bare hands, his zanpakuto flying into his hand. He swung it round and connected with Byakuya's, appearing beside the man and grabbing his head with his hand. He slammed Byakuya into a tower wall, the dust rising around them. The dust cleared, the figure's hood hanging behind his neck, Byakuya staring into the eyes of the attacker.

'Don't think we don't know. Mayuri is dead, I suspect by your hand. Did you want us to think it was Ichigo?' Byakuya asked defiantly. The figure tightened his grip around Byakuya's skull, the man activating his zanpakuto suddenly, millions of pink blossoms exploding onto the scene, surrounding the two of them.

'Senbonzakura.' Byakuya stated, looking up slowly, his eyes glowing purple. 'I thought something was wrong. Is it Aizen? Are we under that spell? Never mind. You don't have to answer. I'll shatter your soul with my own spell.' the man said softly, dropping his zanpakuto, the blade sinking into the ground. At that moment, millions upon millions of pink shards hung in the air, Byakuya raising his arms, a torrent, a wave of pink engulfing the hooded figure. Instantly, there was an explosion of red and the figure leapt from the whirlpool of pink, cutting down a defenceless Byakuya in one fell strike. The man choked, the kenseikan on his head exploding, shattering around him.

'Impossible…' he coughed, looking up, the figure standing above him, Byakuya watching as the petals rained down next to him. The sky darkened, the petals glowing in the black and grey as rain began to pelt down, Byakuya hitting the wet grass, gritting his teeth as his head hit the floor, blood splattering underneath him. His face was beginning to get cold under the rain, the petals fluttering down around him still, fading slightly as they turned into cherry blossoms upon touching the floor. Looking up, Kuchiki could see only the pouring rain and the figure approaching him slowly. Byakuya slowly stood to his feet, reaching for his zanpakuto. Gone. Not a trace remained. His wet hair dropped down his face as his heart sunk.

'_It's finished…_' he thought to himself, looking up, panting heavily. 'What have you done to yourself? Is this…is this all for your fight with me? Are you happy? You defeated me, you broke me.' Byakuya cursed, staggering, stumbling, attempting to stay on his feet as blood ran down his torn chest, his kimono ripped open slightly. The figure stood, inches away from Byakuya. In a flash, he had plunged his sword into Byakuya's stomach, the sky thundering, lightning coursing through the clouds. The two remained silent, Byakuya's head hanging, his hair covering his eyes.

'I…I didn't kill Rukia. It…it wasn't my fault.' Byakuya muttered at last, blood and water dribbling down his face, his eyes heavy. With that, he fell to his knees in the water, the crystal clear puddle held a reflection of the Seireitei, and was now turning a cloudy red.

* * *

Uryu and Sado stood at the door to Urahara's shop, the rain hammering down on their backs. Ishida had in his hand the green bottle, the water no longer fizzing. Uryu knocked on the door a second time before Sado moved in front and rapped on the wood, a light flicking on at long last. Kisuke opened the door, yawning and scratching his head, his eyes filling with shock at the sight of the two of them.

'Oh? Back already…?' he began, but his eyes darted downwards, catching sight of the bottle. '_I gave Mayuri-san the instructions on how to make that specifically so that he could use the contents of the bag…this isn't good._' Looking up at the two of them, he stepped aside, gesturing for them to hurry on in. 'You'd better come in.' They walked into the shop and sat down, Uryu removing his small, soaking cape. Urahara made them two teas and placed them lightly down on the table before turning his head to them, a serious look on his face.

'You've returned with no Ichigo, nor with any Orihime. Instead, you've brought this. What happened?' Urahara asked.

'Mayuri Kurotsuchi is dead. As is his lieutenant.' Ishida declared, Urahara gasping.

'What? You're serious aren't you…?' Kisuke asked the boy who nodded stiffly, Urahara gazing into his teacup at the rippling surface. '…alright, anything else?' he said after a moments silence. Uryu nodded, looking at Sado.

'Ichigo's visions were getting increasingly worse. But then we figured out something. Well, Inoue-san did anyway. She noticed that, the bag didn't bring out Ichigo's visions, but her rejection powers did. Something came from Ichigo's chest…I don't know what. But we went to confront Ichimaru Gin and an explosion went off. Inoue was gone. That's why Kurosaki isn't here.' Uryu explained, holding out his hand, making gestures with it. Urahara nodded, his eyes shivering in the small light of a flickering candle near his face.

'Nothing else?' he asked, Uryu thinking deeply.

'Actually…' Sado piped up quickly, the two looking over at him. '…Ichigo started writing this strange message on his arm. That scientist captain only deciphered the word Hogyoku…' Sado remembered, Urahara's head snapping up sharply at the word. '…oh yeah and that Ichimaru guy mentioned Aizen's zanpakuto.' they fell silent, Uryu nodding at the recollection. Standing, Kisuke looked out of the window at the sky, remembering the final battle as if it were yesterday.

'_So…you are still alive. Then I must do everything in my power to bring you down._' turning back to Uryu and Sado, Urahara nodded for them to stand and he turned back to the window. 'You guys…you need to return to Soul Society as soon as possible. Ichigo needs you there. Don't worry about searching for the bag…' Urahara said, reaching for his cane, unsheathing his zanpakuto, the blade sparkling in the light. '…I will do that myself. If Seireitei truly is indulged in Aizen's zanpakuto that much, then I have no choice but to go myself.'

'Urahara-san…' Uryu whispered.

'I don't know why they targeted Mayuri. But there has to be a reason. Perhaps it is the same reason as why they targeted Miss Rukia. Regardless…' he said, turning on the spot, perching his hat atop his blonde hair. '…you must return, now. We will go together through the same Senkaimon. However, I don't have time to look for Ichigo-san, do you understand?' Urahara ordered, a portal opening up behind them, distorting the room as Kisuke created the doorway, Uryu and Sado nodding.

'You want to split up?' Ishida grinned, the light twinkling on his glasses, the force of the churning vortex throwing Sado's hair about his face.

'Go in different directions? Sounds risky.' he said, but he couldn't hold back a small smirk. Urahara grinned at them, pulling his hat down over one eye.

'Well, when haven't you guys taken risks? If Aizen has Orihime, no doubt he will lead Ichigo into a trap. Then, we're all doomed. You must find him.' Urahara nodded at them, turning back to the Senkaimon, preparing to step in.

'What about you? Where are you going to go?' Uryu asked, Kisuke shrugging.

'To find some answers.' he replied, looking darkly back at the two of them. 'If what I think has happened has happened, then we have no time to lose. I knew something was wrong. I designed the Hogyoku so that it could never be physically destroyed, yet somehow, when Isshin-san gave his life, the orb shattered, along with Aizen's body. Now I know the truth about it's powers, I think I can figure it out.' Urahara explained, the portal beginning to envelope the three of them. 'I just need a bit of time…'

The portal closed in on them, Uryu, Sado and Kisuke preparing to rocket into Soul Society, the wind pushing their hair back, forcing them to take a stance. Uryu narrowed his eyes and stood firm, focusing on the vortex ahead.

'_Kurosaki…don't do anything stupid. We're coming to help. Don't let Aizen catch you…Kurosaki. Just hold on…_' Ishida thought to himself, clenching his fist. At the same time, Ichigo roared into action, speeding down a corridor, his sword in his hand, the towering Repentance Cell looming behind him in the sky, his brow furrowed as he barrelled towards Inoue.

'…_just hold on, Kurosaki!_'


	10. Memories

**Hello everyone, new chapter! Thank you to fuzzibunniez, Illidan the Half Demon and hitsugayatoshirou1220 for their reviews! Please review guys, I want to know what you think! :D**

'…_Just hold on, Kurosaki!_'

There was a tremour. It shook Soul Society slightly, before suddenly, the sky shattered into thousands of glass like shards, Uryu, Sado and Urahara leaping out of it and landing neatly onto the ground below. Standing, they looked around, brushing themselves down. There was an accumulation of Shinigami gathering outside the cherry blossom garden, looking down onto the ground. The group made their way over to them, pushed aside by scurrying 4th Division members carrying stretchers, body bags, medicines…whatever the case was, it was big.

'Hey, you!' came the cry of one of the Shinigami, Uryu and the others dashing over to him. 'Here, help me out.' the man said gruffly. Peering past him, they gasped at the sight of the body lying face down on the ground, his black, wet hair splattered across his back.

'That's…' Sado whispered.

'…Kuchiki Byakuya.' Urahara said darkly. '_Another one…this isn't good…_' he thought to himself, the random Shinigami grabbing and tugging on his sleeve suddenly.

'Hey, I said help me out!' he snapped, Urahara turning to him dreamily, his eyes instantly catching sight of the tip of the Repentance Cell, a small tint of emerald green sparkling out into the sky. Turning quickly to the other two, Kisuke grappled with them and forced them down onto the ground.

'U…Urahara-san!' Uryu choked, Kisuke sternly facing the floor.

'Look away.' he whispered when suddenly an immense purple light flashed outwards from the tower, rippling over the area, engulfing those Shinigami who were tending to Byakuya's body. '_Aizen…he must be magnifying Kyoka Suigetsu's reach with the Hogyoku._' he thought to himself as they stood, the other Shinigami slowly looking at them, raising their swords.

'W…what's going on?' Sado muttered, Urahara bunching the three of them together.

'They are under Aizen's spell. You two go…' he whispered, pulling his hat down over his eyes, drawing Benihime from it's sheathe. '…I'll follow shortly.' he said, his green haori flustering in the wind as the other Shinigami roared into action, bringing their blades down upon the shopkeeper's. Nodding to each other, Uryu and Sado split up, darting away towards the Seireitei, a few Shinigami chasing after them. Urahara smirked and kicked away from the man he was facing, twirling his sword in his hand, holding it out behind him.

'Going somewhere fellas?' he chuckled, a blood red netting emerging from his swords tip and flinging itself at the Shinigami. 'Shibari Benihime.' The ropes swung around the men, bringing them to the ground with a crashing thud. Kisuke's eyes dashed to the right, a blade swooping round to his face. In a movement, he flipped over the sword, landing neatly on it's blade. The man was looking at him, stunned.

'I won't kill you guys.' Urahara smiled, kicking the first man into the netting, then the next, before punching the third guy into the tangled mess. 'I'll just soften you up a little.' he joked, spinning above them, dashing his sword across the netting. 'Hiasobi Benihime.' with this, bright red bulbous orbs appeared on the net, lighting up the wires. Urahara landed in front of the pile up and swung his sword out to the side, the entire group lighting up in a brilliant flash of red, exploding wildly, casting a shadow across the man's face. 'Juzu Tsunagi.' he grinned, turning to face the weakened Shinigami. 'Don't worry, you won't die from that, it was an incredibly weaker version. It's only playing with fire after all.'

At the same time, Sado span round a corner, catching his breath. The Shinigami were tailing him and it was only a matter of time before he was caught. Cursing his incompetence, he summoned both his red and black shield arm and his white and red arm and looked meekly around the corner. He counted the men; four, five, six, maybe seven of them. Swallowing hard, he prepared to turn, when suddenly, at least ten more men appeared at the top of the stairs, one of them barking orders about a guy in white with glasses.

'_Uryu…_' Sado thought to himself. Looking down at his palm, he clenched it into a tight fist and realised he was sweating. '_…what good am I going to be in the fight with Aizen? But…at least, maybe, I can get a diversion for Uryu…I have to try!_' Bellowing at the top of his voice, he darted round the corner, shocking the men. Raising his fist he slammed it into the closest guy's stomach, launching him down the steep staircase. The second drew his sword but Sado merely shattered it with his fist, following through to the man's face, a sickening crunch heard as the man clattered to the ground.

The next two leapt at the man, swinging their blades downwards like a pendulum. However, quickly, Sado raised his defensive arm and blocked the strikes, swatting them away with his other arm. The next man was too fast and he slashed Sado's arm, the man clutching it in his hand before lashing out, grasping a Shinigami by the collar and throwing him into two others. Other Shinigami rushed Yasutora, slamming themselves into is goliath body but he cast them away, running off in the opposite direction.

'_Make a move…Uryu…_' Sado thought to himself before he turned a nearby corner into an alleyway and stopped, his hands on his knees. Looking up, there were at least forty Shinigami waiting for him. Turning, there were another forty. Trapped. His white and red arm flaring up, he entered a stance and prepared for the take down.

'_I'm going down…you guys…save Ichigo and the others for me…!_' he thought to himself before throwing a barrelling punch at the nearest enemy, before being quickly subdued and brought crashing down by the next thirty.

Meanwhile, Uryu leapt onto a nearby tower, his sights set on the Repentance Cell. He could feel Ichigo's trembling reiatsu and he suddenly felt Sado's weaken sharply. Grimacing, he turned on the spot, but his eyes widened at the sight in front of his eyes. Teetering across the rooftop from him was Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the man's skeletal appearance as striking as ever. Uryu squinted, as if his eyes were deceiving him.

'Aren't…aren't you…?' Ishida began, spluttering, Mayuri holding a hand up to his ear.

'Am I what? Spit it out you babbling idiot. Dead? Maybe but since when did death hold me down! Unlike your pathetic race I can return!' Kurotsuchi giggled, Uryu already above him, his bow crackling in his fingers. However, Mayuri vanished, reappearing next to the Quincy and striking him down in a flash, the boy choking on blood as he hit the roof tiles with a thud, rolling down it slightly before sitting up and rubbing his back.

'_How could I be beaten down by him so easily? What is he?_' he coughed, wiping his mouth. Mayuri appeared in front of him, walking lazily towards him. Uryu rushed to the man, firing off multiple arrows, the scientist deflecting them all. Ishida skidded underneath him, Kurotsuchi's eyes widening insanely as he span round, activating his shikai explosively out of poisonous purple mist. Uryu twirled round and held his bow out, but Mayuri was already inches away from his face. Narrowly dodging the shikai, Uryu bounded to another rooftop, Mayuri removing his ear, a hook in it's place and swung it at the Quincy, Uryu wrapping it round his Seele Schneider, the blue light shimmering into the air around them. In a quick manoeuvre, Uryu sliced the ear hook in half, a blood like substance pouring out of the red flesh. Suddenly, Uryu turned, Mayuri's enormous Bankai roaring above him, ready to crash down and finish him off. Spinning his bow in his hands, Uryu held it out as the creature launched itself at him, it's face smashing into the bow's flat face, Uryu spinning it rapidly like a hacksaw.

'Wrong move. Thought you could break through? Licht Regen!' he cried, the barrage of arrows bursting into the weapon, filling the monstrous fiend with blue light, before it immediately disappeared into sparkles, Uryu cut down by something, Mayuri moving past him. '_I…I couldn't see him? No…_' he thought to himself in horror as Mayuri's body vanished, the hooded figure in his place. '_…it was never him in the first place. Kyoka Suigetsu!_' the figure smashed down beside Uryu who flipped over, clutching his arm. As the figure readied himself for battle, Ishida simply vanished, leaving the man to reside on the rooftop, alone.

* * *

Urahara arrived in Mayuri's laboratory, pushing the door open from it's hinges. Mayuri's decimated body was still there. Now, the smell of a rotting corpse filled the room, Urahara presuming it's existence to be hidden by Aizen's zanpakuto. The pieces of Nemu hung gruesomely around, Kisuke merely pressing on to where he needed to go. Holding up the green liquid, he watched as the bubbles began to erupt, fizzing wildly.

'Well done, Mayuri-san.' he chuckled simply. Moving to Mayuri's working space, the bubbles were seemingly ignited as the water was suddenly aflame with a beautiful, light blue fire.

'It appears he was smart enough to leave it here.' Urahara smiled, running his finger down Mayuri's desk, the bones in his index finger crackling ever so slightly. Then there came the sound of mechanisms churning, twisting and turning both underground and in the walls and almost out of nowhere, the floor began to open up, a gloomy staircase leading down to a colossal circular room with panels of glass and green lights everywhere. In the centre of the room, a small table, a wall around it made of strange, pale purple stone. Upon the table was the burlap sack and a rough, dusty journal. Flicking the light switch on, he was horrified at what he saw. The pale purple walls spread out not only around the table, but around the entirety of the vast room, covered from top to bottom in the same purple engravings as Ichigo wrote on his arm. Kisuke entered slowly, flicking open the journal and peering through it.

'I see. Mayuri-san deciphered a lot of it.' he said to himself, removing his hat and laying it down on the table. 'Something must have happened…' he thought to himself before looking towards the burlap sack. He shook himself down and breathed in deeply, running a hand through his hair. Then, he chuckled lightly.

'What am I getting so worked up about? They're just memories after all.' he whispered before throwing open the bag and looking inside. There was a flash of purple and then a silent shockwave when the man began to flail and writhe and cursing. However, he managed to gain control quickly, grasping the desk with one hand and wrapping his other around the burlap sack.

'Come on…show me!' he cursed slightly, scrunching his face up in pain, the sweat running down his forehead already as the bag's light roared up around him. 'Show me…' he whispered again, fighting through whatever was in there. '…SHOW ME!' he cried, the bag suddenly exploding with light, images flooding into Urahara's mind as he breathed in sharply, reliving the moment.

'_You think you can win?' Aizen glowered, holding an arm out. Everyone was lying, defeated on the ground, Ichigo, Isshin, Urahara and Yoruichi facing the villain, Ichimaru Gin standing off to the side. 'The process of ascension is almost complete.' smirked the enemy, gesturing towards the Hogyoku in his chest. Suddenly, Urahara was behind him, swinging downwards, Yoruichi leaping at him, kicking forwards. Aizen however hit them away, slashing at them both with his blade. Urahara snarled, skidding back to Isshin. The man whispered suddenly to the shopkeeper._

'_Kisuke…I think…I think I can kill him.' Isshin muttered, Urahara raising an eyebrow, turning to his friend. Ichigo watched from the sidelines, unable to make out what his father was saying as Yoruichi and Aizen continued to square off. He was awoken from his stupour by Gin who appeared behind him, before telling him to calm down and watch the fight. _

'_You…you can't…' Urahara whispered, shaking his head at Isshin's proposal. '…I won't let you. You'll be leaving them all behind.' _

'_I'd rather give a life, to save them all. Besides, I'll be with my beloved Masaki again. You heard the old fart…to extirpate a great evil with death, know this to the be true spirit of the Gotei 13.' Isshin smiled proudly, Urahara desperately talking him out of it._

'_But you're not even in the Gotei 13 anymore! Listen to me!' he began but Isshin held out his hand._

'_I've made up my mind. I'm going.' he said bluntly. Urahara prepared to protest, but he saw the look in the man's eye and realised at last. _

'_You are far too much like your son.' he sighed, Isshin chuckled. He looked over at Ichigo, who was duelling again with Gin._

'_He's come a long way, my boy. I know he will do well when this is all over. Well, shall we get started, Urahara-san?' he asked, Kisuke shaking his head, saddened. In a flash, Yoruichi pounced at Aizen who deflected her first attack, but she brought her next fist in with crushing power._

'_Shunko!' she cried, the blast enveloping her hand and smashing into his neck, the villain choking. Behind him, Urahara was there, swinging downwards in an arc, covering Aizen with a blood red netting. He then set off the explosives, an enormous amount of power towering up into the air. Spluttering, the villain emerged from the smoke._

'_This is your trump card? This won't even…' he began, but he turned sharply, Isshin leaping towards him, sword raised._

'_Getsuga…' he growled, Aizen's eyes widening in horror. '…TENSHOU!' Kurosaki Isshin boomed, striking the man with an almighty blow, Urahara cursing as they were both enveloped in a bright light. The explosion was vast and Kisuke cried out to his friend as Aizen's body shattered under the physical weight of the reiatsu._

'_Aaaargh!' his cry was drowned out as his body vanished, the Hogyoku exploding into pieces. Isshin however was bleeding everywhere, the strain of the attack defeating him. With a final smile, he vanished slowly into the wind, Urahara leaping up. _

'_Isshin!' he roared, an enormous light erupting outwards across the sky. Ichigo hit the floor, choking violently. All he could feel were rocks and blood, the red substance trickling down his head. It was hardly a new feeling. Overhead he saw a blade retract and then a swish of green and Urahara Kisuke was staring him in the face._

'_Kurosaki-san, we have to go, now!' he cried, Ichigo grunting as he was hauled up by his shihakusho collar and thrown forwards. Spinning round, he caught a quick glimpse of Ichimaru Gin disappearing into a raging fire, a bright purple glow beginning to swamp the area. The remnants of the town began to lift up around them as they struggled to reach the edge of the vicinity, Kisuke bounding forwards, leaping upwards and into the sky. Ichigo's vision was becoming blurry and he staggered forwards, looking up at the clouds, Urahara pulling open a door._

'_Hurry!' he heard him cry but it was muffled and Ichigo closed his eyes, opening them again to a brilliant flash of purple and then, a shadow. A figure was hunched over him, Ichigo on the ground again. In his hand, the figure was holding a small orb and he held it over Ichigo's face, the muffled shouts of Urahara barely breaking through anymore. The orb began to disappear, dissolving in the wind into powder before the figure did the same, shattering into thin air, almost like glass and then, nothing. With that, Ichigo staggered to his feet and bounded towards the doorway, Yoruichi slipping through. With one last cry to his father, Ichigo screamed at the top of his lungs as the Fake Karakura collapsed in on itself, the other Shinigami already removed from the area as the entire place vanished in a brilliant, apocalyptic finish. _

Lunging out of the bag, Urahara cast it aside furiously, running his hands through his hair and coughing violently.

'So…Aizen did put it in Ichigo. Isshin died for nothing…' he said weakly. '…of course, now I remember why that bag was so dangerous. It contained…my most horrific memory…of the most horrific event…' he whispered, the twinkle in his eye slowly fading.


	11. Choices

**Hey guys! Hope you enjoy the chapter and thank you to reviewers Illidan the Half Demon, hitsugayatoshirou1220, Zangetsu50 and fuzzibunniez! Please can everyone else review, it keeps me writing! Thanks!**

Urahara was still deciphering the messages on the stones when the door closed shut behind him. Rubbing his chin, the man looked through the notes of the journal, his eyes scanning the pages.

'_It makes sense after all…Ichigo-san has the Hogyoku embedded within him._' Urahara realising the grim truth. Shaking his head however, he flipped to the back of the book, seeking some further answers. '_But that's the only thing that makes sense. How did the Hogyoku shatter? I made it, so I should know best that it can't…_' From behind him, footsteps were beginning to make themselves more apparent as someone came towards him, making their way down the weakly to himself, Urahara lowered his hands to the desk and sighed, looking up at the ceiling, the green lights shutting off at once, the sound of muffled footsteps closing in.

'It's you isn't it?' Kisuke smiled. 'The one who killed Mayuri-san? Kuchiki-san too, perhaps?' at this, the hooded figure moved into the sole light hanging over Urahara's head, the Shinigami hunched over the desk, not facing the enemy. They sat in silence, Kisuke's eyes fluttering in the light. He could feel the figure watching his back intently, prepared for any movements.

'Will you kill me as well?' Kisuke asked, his voice echoing in the silent room. Chuckling meekly, he hung his head. 'Of course you will…' he turned his head slightly, his piercing eyes visible in the dark.

'I won't try to stop you if you do. Just so you know…' Urahara continued, facing the desk again. '…it won't bring Rukia-chan back.' The figure behind him stirred, shuffling awkwardly.

'I have to try.' came the voice, Urahara nodding, understanding. 'It's the only way…he said it was the only way…to bring her back…I didn't want…I didn't want…' the figure began, Urahara raising an eyebrow, the sound of the shadowy person's sword shaking and rattling in his nervous hand loud in the room. Then, there fell silence again.

'Is it because I was near to the Hogyoku?' Kisuke piped up, the figure breathing heavily, no reply. Suddenly, the figure threw his sword onto the ground, a sound, that sounded almost like tears striking Urahara in the heart.

'This is wrong…you…you had nothing…nothing to do with her death…I shouldn't be killing you…' the assailant began, trying to make sense of the situation when Urahara suddenly turned and faced him.

'Did the others have anymore to do with it than I?' Urahara whispered coldly, the figure staring up at him. Smiling again, Kisuke reached down slowly and picked up the zanpakuto lying on the ground. Pressing it's hilt into the man's fingers, the Shinigami wrapped his hands around it and drove the blade into his own stomach, the assailant gasping.

'No…you…' came the voice, but Urahara chuckled weakly on the blade.

'It's better this way…either you kill me…or Aizen kills you. Besides…I know…everything I need to. Thank you. Everything…has fallen into place. The time of ascension has come.' Kisuke whispered cryptically, the sword still in his bloodied hands. 'You shouldn't…worry about me. I know in my heart…Ichigo will win. I bet on it. Dying…is but a natural cycle for those…who are human…for those…who are good. For those who live…only in the darkness…they continue to return to life…merely to try and get a glimpse…of that light…that those who are good…revel in all their life. Sometimes, you just have to make some crazy choices.' he smiled before falling to his knees and collapsing beside the figure who grabbed his sword and held it in his hands, shuddering. Looking around, he ran back to the exit, the bottle of green liquid shattering, the burlap sack tearing up into the air, the etchings on the walls slowly turning to dust.

* * *

Ichigo burst through Soul Society, Zangetsu out by his side. His head was down and he barrelled through the area. Suddenly he threw his foot out in front of himself and came to a screeching halt, dust roaring up around him.

'_That's…Urahara-san's reiatsu! What the hell, it just totally vanished?_' Ichigo thought to himself, looking around frantically. Then, out of nowhere, a Shinigami leapt at him from the shadows, Ichigo whipping his blade around him like a black mist, pulling it down upon the man, kicking him aside and down the staircase he was currently ascending. From behind however he was attacked, the next man grappling with his shoulders, forcing Ichigo's back to begin to crack, the boy cursing. Out of nowhere, a bright blue light struck the man, sending him over the side of the stairs and crashing down to the ground below. Kurosaki turned, Uryu leaping over a railing and landing neatly onto the stairs beside him. They were near the top of the Seireitei and had almost run a full circle, once again near the Repentance Cell, this time only much higher up.

'Ishida!' Ichigo laughed, Uryu standing, firing up his bow instantly.

'There was someone following me, someone in a hooded cloak, I didn't see his face…' Uryu panted, completely out of breath. Ichigo's eyes widened at the description and he began to think back.

_Suddenly, amidst the chaos, something caught his eye and he looked up, dazed. In the hole created by the explosion, a figure stood, wrapped in a black hooded cloak. Ichigo couldn't make out his face but the shadowy figure grinned._

_'Is that…?' Ichigo spluttered._

Uryu tugged at Ichigo's arm, urging him to hurry up. There was a horde of Shinigami thundering up the stairs, surrounding the area and swallowing up the surrounding buildings, all of them aimed for the two intruders.

'What happened to Sado? And Urahara?' Ichigo barked at the Quincy as the two of them sped up the stairs, throwing the occasional Getsuga Tenshou or firing off an arrow at the pursuers. Uryu had a solemn look on his face, but he kept running.

'I don't know about Urahara-san. But Sado-kun…I saw him fighting a large group of Shinigami…he said he was creating a diversion for me and wouldn't allow me to stop and help…I…' he continued but Ichigo slammed to a halt, grabbing Uryu by the collar and pulling him close, raising his voice so it was almost hoarse.

'So you just left him! What if he's dead! How will you live with that!' he roared, Uryu grimacing.

'He told me to go…it was a matter of honour you fool, not sacrifice!' Ishida snapped, pushing off of Ichigo.

'There's no such thing as honour! You saw him and you left him, it's as simple as that! We go home together, Ishida!' Ichigo croaked, the wind whipping up around him, his hair blowing in front of his face as he fought back the tears, Uryu looking away in shame. 'Don't forget that…' Ichigo whispered and he ran on ahead, Uryu standing, watching the oncoming Shinigami. Kurosaki turned sharply, looking down at him. '…what are you waiting for! Come on!' he shouted, but his eyes widened as he looked on at his friend, the Quincy summoning his bright blue bow on the end of his wrist, his eyes hidden behind his glasses.

'You're right, Kurosaki. No one dies. We all go home together.' Uryu said faintly, Ichigo standing about forty steps further up than him, the Quincy choking as he grit his teeth. 'That's why I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but you must go to Inoue-san alone. I will go back and find Sado-kun.' he whispered, standing tall, the wind furiously whipping at his white coat. The Shinigami had reached them and Ishida grinned at them, firing off hundreds of arrows, taking out multiple enemies, but they breached. It was inevitable, and, Uryu took it. He ran, pushing into them, shoving them, blasting them aside. He was cut on the leg, then the arm, then the back, but he whipped his Seele Schneider from his belt and slew the man closest to him, kicking his body from the stairs.

'Ishida…' Ichigo mumbled, Uryu panting wildly, blood running down his forehead now. He span round and looked up at the boy, cursing.

'Go Ichigo! God damn you, go!' he snapped, Ichigo blinking, throwing himself out of the stupour. Turning to run, he braced himself and turned back.

'Ishida!' he snapped, Uryu hitting another attacker aside, turning to the Shinigami. 'You better not die! 'Cause when you've found Sado, I'm gonna come back for you!' he ordered, before taking off, disappearing up the stairs again. The Quincy gave a small smile before turning back to his fight, cracking the nearest man in the face with the hilt of his Seele Schneider, but in his mind, he could only see Ichigo running.

'_Ichigo…I don't know if I will make it. But, if I do, I will come to you. I will help you fight them, Ichigo. You're not alone._' he whispered before disappearing into the mass of Soul Reapers, his brilliant blue light fading into battle.

Ichigo sprinted to the top, ignoring everything else, the very top of the stairway in sight. Behind it stood the enormous tower, still, it's authoritative shadow looming over everything, the Sokyoku Hill lying majestically beside the stairs. As he continued upwards, he stopped, his eyes fixated on the very final step. Standing atop it was Orihime, her eyes closed, her long, orange hair billowing out into the wind. She was teetering dangerously over the edge. Ichigo leapt for her, but she suddenly opened her eyes. In that instant, she fell backwards.

'NO! INOUE!' Ichigo screamed, the girl falling to the floor thousands of feet below. Kurosaki leapt over the edge, his arms by his side as he soared towards the falling girl, the wind pushing against his face as he swept her up into his arms and span round, vanishing moments before touching the ground below. In a flash, he appeared at the top of the stairs again, the girl under his arm, his hair down his face, breathing heavily in and out. The girl was also breathing heavily before she suddenly screamed for Ichigo to run, the boy's chest pounding all of a sudden as the floor in front of him began to ripple and from the stairs emerged Aizen, covered in the sickening purple vines.

'At last, Kurosaki Ichigo, the time of ascension has arrived!'


	12. Ascension

**Another update because I have absolutely NOTHING to do! Wooo! Anyways, it's getting near to the end now, so thank you to those who have stayed with it! Thank you for the reviews from hitsugayatoshirou1220, fuzzibunniez, Zangetsu50 and Illidan the Half Demon! **

Orihime is crying. That's all he can hear. Ichigo's chest was pounding, hurting more than ever before now and he clutched his shihakusho in one hand, Inoue under the other arm. Looking around, the top of this magnificent flight of stairs now seemed to be a dizzying height and Ichigo pulled away from the edge. The girl was shouting at him now, telling him to run.

'Inoue…Inoue, listen to me!' he snapped, turning to her. 'What's wrong? Why won't you come with me!' he barked. The girl didn't answer, her frightful eyes looking past his shoulder at a figure emerging from the stairs, hunched over, hundreds of crackling, purple vines dropping off of him as his bones clicked into place. Ichigo turned slowly, his eyes wide with horror as the figure lifted his head, his arms outstretched. Kurosaki watched as he came to a stop.

'Ai…Aizen…' Ichigo stammered, the man opening his eyes, the pupils flashing purple before dulling back to brown. In a flash of green, Ichigo spluttered, blood spraying from his chest as he hit the floor, Aizen's zanpakuto protruding from it's owner's palm, Orihime collapsing to the stairs beside Ichigo. The boy coughed, looking up at the villain.

'You…should be dead…dad…dad gave his life to stop you…' Ichigo wheezed, the pain in his chest about ready to tear him apart as he stared this ghost like man in the face. It was him. There was no doubt about it. That same smug look, the same feeling of over bearing reiatsu. It was like walking into the arms of a god. Ichigo could feel his throat tightening as the man lowered himself to his level and took Kurosaki's face in his hand.

'There is no doubt about it. You are powerful. I will even confess it myself that you are strong enough right now to kill me. However, your mind is brittle. It is as weak as ever and as ever you are a disappointment.' Aizen said slyly, Ichigo's breath barely escaping his throat.

'Could you be so foolish?' Sosuke asked, rising to his feet again. 'You saw me yourself in your visions. The Repentance Cell, Gin…all of it, you were there in your mind.' silence followed and Aizen sighed, running a hand through his thick hair, holding his zanpakuto out. He had a cruel, unpredictable grin on his face as he raised an eyebrow at the boy.

'Would you like to see Soul Society's true face?' he asked. 'Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu.' with that, the world around them crumbled, falling down like shards of glass. In it's place, was a place worthy not even of a nightmare. Seireitei was burning. It's many beautiful and majestic buildings lay in ruin, the Repentance Cell being strangled by a colossal purple root which travelled the whole way up the tower. The sky was a blood red from the flames, embers hanging in the air, a ferocious wing forcing the humidity around. Aizen opened his arms and laughed, his eyes glowing red from the burning inferno.

'W…what the hell is going on…!' Ichigo gasped, staggering to his feet and looking around in horror. Aizen glided over to Orihime, helping her up. He stroked her face with a long finger, the girl frozen to the spot. Lowering his head down to hers, the villain whispered softly.

'Why don't you explain it to him, Miss Inoue?' he said, his grin curling up at the end of his lips. The girl however, clenched her hands into fists and shook her head, sweat running down her cheek.

'I won't.' she said defiantly, Ichigo smiling a little. Aizen backed up away from her and grabbed her face in his hand, his eyes turning black like a hollow's, his hair lengthening suddenly as he barked at her.

'YOU'LL DO AS I SAY!' he snapped before suddenly pulling back, his face returning to normal. He pulled a hand through his hair and chuckled a bit, inhaling deeply. The girl was horrified, Aizen looking out over the Seireitei. Finally, Orihime began to cry again, the sparkling tears running down her face as she fumbled with her hands, beginning to tell Ichigo what happened.

'Kurosaki-kun…has the Hogyoku inside of him…parts of it anyway. It never shattered…it's impossible for the Hogyoku to shatter…' she sniffed, shaking her head as she spoke, Ichigo's eyes wide. '…the Hogyoku's power, is to make real the dreams of the hearts around it…before Aizen's body was destroyed…he entrusted it with one final wish…and that wish…' she said, gathering her courage, bringing herself to say it with one final tear. '…was to place the Hogyoku inside of you, Kurosaki-kun.'

Ichigo choked as he was told everything, the girl standing in front of him, her face red raw from crying.

'His physical body…it was destroyed…but the Hogyoku…it didn't shatter…it reconstructed itself inside of you…' she cried, sobbing into her hands. Aizen stepped up beside her, running a hand down her hair.

'It's alright, Orihime. You did very well. But I have one more task for you. Reject him. Use your powers and reject him.' Sosuke asked, facing the boy now, Ichigo's hand on his heart. Inoue shuddered, preparing to say no once more when Ichigo suddenly spoke up, a small, weak, but profound smile on his face.

'Inoue…it's alright. You can do it.' he whispered. The girl closed her eyes and held out her hands, shaking violently. The orange lights flew from her hairpin and surrounded Ichigo. In a flash, he roared in pain, the orange and purple lights mixing together, thundering throughout. Orihime shrieked as Ichigo collapsed onto his knees, the pieces of the Hogyoku appearing in his chest. Aizen watched them move to the surface greedily. However, in Ichigo's mind, he wasn't experiencing the visions. It was cold…and black. There was nothing. Then, out of nowhere, a brilliant white figure pounced at him.

'_**Hey, champ!**_' he laughed before the vision ended and Ichigo was thrown back into the real world, panting heavily.

'At last…' Aizen purred, reaching out for the Hogyoku shards. The vines around the Seireitei began to throb and pulse, Ichigo's mind screaming as well as his chest.

'_What was that? I just…I just saw my Inner Hollow…?_' Ichigo thought to himself, feeling Aizen's hand plunge into his ribs. He screamed, the splitting pain coursing through him as the man tightened his grip, wrenching the orb from Ichigo. Orihime was watching in pure horror as Ichigo cursed. Suddenly, there was a massive explosion of purple light around the three of them and Ichigo clutched Aizen's wrist, the man removing his hand, blood spilling out.

'My dad's death…it was in vain!' Ichigo roared, pushing Aizen backwards. Aizen scowled, observing the skin closing in around Kurosaki's heart.

'_I see…by coming into contact with the Hogyoku, I temporarily awakened his Hollow powers. Fine, I don't need those shards anyway._' Aizen thought to himself, watching Ichigo's new found resolve.

'Did you not understand up until now? The reason you have been experiencing all these different visions is because some of the Hogyoku was inside you. Because my physical body had subdued the Hogyoku before it was destroyed, I placed some of my spirit inside it. Therefore, some of my spirit has been inside of you the entire time, Kurosaki Ichigo.' With that, Aizen raised his arms, laughing, the top half of the staircase breaking away from the rest, floating up into the sky.

Down below, someone scurried out of the nearby Seireitei and bounded upwards. Sprinting up towards the staircase he stopped fast, watching as it broke off, taking off into the red sky. Summoning his blue bow, he brought about a disc of energy beneath his feet and sped up towards it, determination on his face as he grabbed a hold of the edge just in time.

* * *

Night cast itself over Karakura Town as Yoruichi and Shinji stood in the Urahara Shop, awaiting any kind of news. In her hand, the woman held tightly a scrunched up ball of paper. Shinji was looking at the clock on the wall, counting down until he stopped and made a clicking sound with his tongue. Yoruichi grit her teeth and rolled open the paper. Scanning over it with her yellow eyes, she gripped it suddenly, throwing it aside.

'What's up?' the Vizard asked.

'Read it.' she whispered, the man bending down to pick up the sheet, unravelling it again and peering down it.

'Eh…? You really think Kisuke-san would write this?' Hirako asked, Yoruichi fitting her shoes on, nodding in response. Hirako didn't pursue as he could see what appeared to be tears in the corners of her eyes. Pulling his hat down over his eyes, he hoisted his zanpakuto from the corner of the room and strode outside, looking up at the pouring rain.

'_Ya really did it this time, Kisuke._' he thought to himself. Yoruichi made her way outside, pulling some tight gloves down her arms, a look of unseen anger on her face.

'Don't crush him too hard, Yoruichi-san.' Shinji said, clicking his fingers, a Senkaimon opening up in the sky in front of them. The woman forced a small smile and Shinji shook his head as she pounced into the portal, the Vizard taking one last look at the Urahara Shop.

'Aah…who am I kiddin'?' he said simply to himself, a dark tone to his voice. 'Don't let yourself get too mad…Yoruichi-san…' Shinji said in a concerned voice, leaping into the portal after her, the doors closing shut behind them.

**71511, AAA ASRA AAA, animelover1993, artemishuntress88, burgsmith, derderxp, Hidemitsu Samanosuke Akechi jr, IchigoKurosakiSotaicho, ichigos future wife, kr313, Kuiinsama, Little White Comet, Mina Ravenclaw, peach77, Pharoahatem, shadowgouf, symbion and timbercat133, as we are nearing the end of the fic i'd like to ask you to please review. Let me know what's bad, what's good, what you like...i'd like some feedback! Thank you for your interest and favourites, but the reviews keep me writing so please think about it :D**


	13. Ascension 2

**Hello everyone and first off, thank you for the amazing response to the last chapter! I hope we out do it this time round! Please enjoy! Thank to the reviewers mary lou, hitsugayatoshirou1220, Zangetsu50, Mina Ravenclaw, IchigoKurosakiSotaicho, Little White Comet, Illidan the Half Demon and fuzzibunniez! Thank you and please review again :D**

The staircase rose up into the fiery red sky, the embers hanging in the air as it continued to float upwards before coming to a halt, Ichigo and the others jolting as it stopped. Aizen was standing, Ichigo on his knees, sweat running down his forehead as a blade was poised by his throat.

'You are the final piece of the puzzle, Kurosaki Ichigo.' Sosuke declared, the blunt edge of the sword pushing up against the boy's neck. Raising his other hand to Orihime, the girl stunned at the sight, he purred in a mocking, facetious tone. 'You, like your friends before you, Rukia and Urahara, were close to the Hogyoku. So you, like them, will die.' grasping Ichigo's collar, he held him high above and threw him aside, Ichigo crashing to the ground and rolling to the edge of the stairway, Inoue leaping and grabbing a hold of his wrist, crying out to him.

'Kurosaki-kun!' she screamed. Ichigo however, wasn't listening. In his head, he was nearly dead.

'_My dad…gave his life for nothing…but…to have him inside of my soul…damn it, why didn't I see anything sooner? If I had…Urahara-san wouldn't have had to die. Now…now, even perhaps Sado…Uryu are both dead. What the hell have I been doing!_' he thought to himself, his vision blurred as he looked up into Orihime's eyes, the girl crying hysterically. He could barely hear her as he dropped in and out of his world.

'Kurosaki-kun…!' Orihime shrieked, Ichigo lifting his head slightly.

'_Is that…Inoue?_' he thought to himself.

'Kurosaki-kun…doesn't have to keep fighting…but…he needs to stay alive…he needs to stop Aizen getting his body…Kurosaki-kun…needs to be the hero again…' she whimpered, sobbing weakly, her eyes full as she stared into Ichigo's blank expression. '…Kurosaki-kun has to be my hero again…' she sighed, the wind catching her orange hair and blowing it madly around. Suddenly, Aizen reached out and clasped his hand onto the girl's neck, lifting her up and telling her to stand. She was looking out over at the Sokyoku Hill, the mountain crumbling, burning to the ground.

'You foolish girl. Look. See how it crumbles. But…look again!' he cried, his mouth turning up in a cruel grin as a purple tornado of reiatsu whipped up upon the cliff, scoring the sky at one end and burrowing into the hill at the other. Orihime looked at him, the man looking down at her, his hand out at the side, the purple vines clinging to his body, his face covered in a thick shadow.

'I never needed a new body in the first place.' he declared, Inoue gasping, cowering beneath him. 'I killed those by the Hogyoku to use their reiatsu, to form the Sokyoku once more! When the great weapon is formed at last I will become the new God by destroying the Repentance Cell! Then the - !' he stopped mid sentence suddenly as a figure leapt up behind him, eclipsing the fiery red sun as he blasted a blue arrow at the villain, Aizen gliding aside. Uryu landed neatly on the staircase, Ichigo laughing.

'I…Ishida!' he grinned, Uryu facing away from him.

'Don't lose your focus, Kurosaki.' he said bluntly, Ichigo about to answer, but instead he turned away, clambering back onto the stairs. The substitute Shinigami scowled, but then stared at the Quincy.

'_Because you're here…does that mean Sado's dead? Uryu…_' Ichigo thought to himself, but he roused again but Ishida speaking.

'Before we came here the second time, Urahara-san told us of a prophecy. It was not unlike the one you wrote on your arm in fact. There is an ancient force residing within the Repentance Cell. Inside it, is the collected power of all twenty nine previous Captain Commanders and Aizen wants to take it all. To do so, he needs the Hogyoku to break down the spiritual barrier, but also, needs something strong enough to pierce it. So, cleverly, he used the reiatsu of the Hogyoku to form the Sokyoku once again. Naturally it doesn't come without a price…people are dying, Ichigo. You…' he began, but they heard a clapping noise and turned, Aizen walking towards them both, smiling thinly.

'I see. That certainly is impressive. Urahara knew the entire thing did he? A shame you had to spoil the surprise, Ryoka boy. Nonetheless…' he said sinisterly, turning round to look over the edge of the staircase. Gesturing for them to look, they did.

Orihime was shocked, as was everyone else. Beneath the floating staircase was a mass genocide, hundreds of thousands of Seireitei and Rukongai residents fleeing for their lives as the whirling tornado of purple reiatsu destroyed their spirit bodies, taking their souls. Aizen raised his arms above his head, laughing.

'They will witness the end of time! It is the coming of a new God, a new age! There will be mass extinction!' he cried with glee, Ichigo gripping his sword, unable to look over the edge anymore.

'Aizen…' Ichigo panted, Uryu standing beside him. The man lowered his arms slowly, the purple vines encroaching on his face.

'But you…you two must be removed.' he said devilishly, his face black from the shadows of dancing fire, his eyes a burning red from the reflection of the embers, giving off a demonic glow. Beside him, Ichimaru appeared, landing daintily on the staircase. Aizen looked at the him, the villain waving comically.

'Gin…? You arrived at last.' Sosuke said, Ichimaru flapping his hand flamboyantly.

'Sorry I'm late, Cap'n Aizen. I was hoardin' a bunch of Rukon guys towards the Sokyoku.' he sneered, Aizen nodding. Turning back to the two, they stared one another down, Ichigo's eyes burning into his enemy's, Uryu the same. Ichigo held out his hand to Inoue, the girl taking a step forwards.

'Kurosaki-kun…' she began, Ichigo smiling at her reassuringly.

'Inoue, please…stay there. We're gonna win. I can feel it. Please…I need you to be safe.' he said warmly, the girl thinking for a moment before nodding sternly, knowing her place. Ichigo swung Zangetsu around in front of him, smirking at Aizen. 'Alright then, shall we get this ball rolling?' he chuckled.

'I must say…the way you recover from such emotional downturns is…remarkable to say the least. Is the care you feel for your friends that strong? To see them alive revitalises you doesn't it?' Aizen asked, Ichigo furrowing his brow at the man. 'Gin, kill him.'

'As you wish.' Ichimaru laughed, darting for Kurosaki, Uryu appearing in front of him. Gin skidded to a halt, spinning round and ending up beside the Quincy. Uryu fired off a couple of arrows at the man but he moved like a snake, pouncing up to the boy. In a flash, Ishida whipped Seele Schneider out of his belt and summoned it, locking blades with the man.

'You're gonna have to get through me.' Uryu spat, Gin smashing away from him, the two pushing out and leaping up from the stairs. Gin pulled his sword back and unleashed it, firing the blade at Uryu. The Quincy vanished, appearing again above Ichimaru, firing a torrent of arrows down, then appearing beneath him and doing the same, following with every conceivable angle. Aizen watched as Gin vanished into an ever growing cloud of blue smoke, Ichigo grinning. As Uryu lowered himself down in front of the spectacle, he was suddenly struck on the shoulder by a lightning quick blade, blood dribbling down his cape. Bounding aside, he watched as Ichimaru burst from the smoke, a trickle of red running down his cheek.

'Pheeeeew…lucky me I managed to block 'em. You're fast, but I really don't wanna fight ya.' he shrugged, his wakizashi in hand. Uryu staunchly stood firm however, holding his spider wed like bow out in front of him, rearranging his glasses.

'I'm afraid you have to. Unless you want to lie down and die?' he said darkly, Gin's grin creeping up, a dark look on the two fighter's faces. With that, Gin blasted towards Uryu, lashing out wildly, swinging crazily at the boy. Uryu blocked once, twice, three times before being cut again on the arm. Cursing, he crashed to the ground, Gin appearing above him, like a bird seeing its prey. He started again, whipping his sword in front of him insanely, a look of glee on his face as dust rose from the stairs, Ichigo crying out.

'What's the matter Quincy? Too fast for you?' Ichimaru sniggered but he jolted to the side as a brilliant shock of blue shot upwards, narrowly missing the enemy, slicing off some of his hair. A small ball came spinning up beside Gin, enveloping him suddenly in a massive white canvas, emblazoned with the Quincy cross.

'What is this?' he coughed, struggling to remove the sheeting. Uryu sped towards him, aiming an arrow.

'Gritz. A Quincy technique. I have plenty more where that came from.' Ishida scorned, Gin slicing his way through the sheet like a maniac, cutting and hacking, butchering the cloth. As he tore his way out, Uryu landed on his blade and flipped over him, a shockwave booming out over the Seireitei as Gin stumbled, choking, a colossal concrete block slammed into his back.

'Heizen. You can't avoid them all.' Uryu smirked as Ichimaru staggered forwards, casting the last of the Gritz from him, only to step into a blue light, shooting out to five other lights. Opening his eyes, Ichimaru looked around, cursing as the lights shot up into the air, forming a brilliant pillar of transcending light.

'Farewell, Ichimaru Gin. You tripped up at the last moment.' Uryu gloated, dropping a bead of blue water atop one of the five Seele Schneiders he had posted around. In an instant, there was a massive explosion where Gin was, Aizen watching, slightly amused, Ichigo punching the air.

'Sprenger.' Uryu whispered, flicking his hand to the side as the final explosion went off behind him, the five Seele Schneiders disappearing into the wind. Lowering himself to the stairs beside Ichigo, he summoned his bow once more and aimed it at Aizen, the man looking listlessly at where Gin had been.

'Are you ready, Kurosaki?' Uryu asked, Ichigo nodding. 'We'll do it together…first…' he began but he was struck through the stomach by a blade, Gin emerging from the smoke. Stepping out, Ichimaru was covered head to toe in slashes, his clothes torn and burnt, but he wasn't so badly damaged. Uryu spluttered, the blade removing itself from his stomach, Gin floating down towards them.

'I told ya. I don't wanna fight ya. I'm waiting to skewer the substitute Shinigami.' Gin smirked, Uryu clasping his stomach, pulling a Seele Schneider from his belt and lunging at the villain, Gin raising an eyebrow. 'What did I just say…?' he said dangerously, vanishing and appearing beside the Quincy, hitting him in the side of the face, Uryu coughing violently as he was flung to the side. He rolled down the stairs before coming to a lucky stop towards the bottom, a hundred foot drop awaiting him.

'Ishida!' Ichigo cried, running towards him, Gin stepping out in front of him and swinging, Ichigo leaping backwards, skidding up the stairs.

'Oh no no…this won't do. You're to fight me.' Ichimaru smiled but Aizen placed a hand on his shoulder, the man turning to face him.

'Gin…wait a few moments. You know I have someone special planned to fight the Ryoka boy.' Aizen smiled, Gin nodding as the hooded figure appeared on the staircase, Ichigo snapping. Swinging his sword behind his head, he lunged at the man who drew his zanpakuto, locking blades with Ichigo who was suddenly engulfed in a fit of rage.

'You bastard! You killed them all! You…' he came to a stop as the man lifted his head, his hood falling off to allow the bright red hair to spring out. Ichigo gasped and he stepped back, dropping his zanpakuto to the ground, shaking his head.

'…it can't be…' Inoue whispered, covering her mouth. Kurosaki grit his teeth and clenched his hand into a fist.

'…Renji…!'

**71511, AAA ASRA AAA, animelover1993, artemishuntress88, burgsmith, derderxp, Hidemitsu Samanosuke Akechi jr, TheDarkSlayer, ichigos future wife, kr313, Kuiinsama, Ayje, beyondrepent, peach77, Pharoahatem, shadowgouf, symbion, timbercat133, Golden Feathers, henriette, Kyliwolf, Kyrial Halcoryn, Paleshadow20, SeraphinaDonna and TerminalKnitwear, please review guys! I'd love to know what you think and it helps me to continue enjoy writing! I only want to improve so please, review if you can :) thank you and enjoy! **


	14. Ascension 3

**Hey there everyone. I was pretty nervous about this chapter as I put a lot of work into it. I hope you all enjoy it :) Thank you to fuzzibunniez, IchigoKurosakiSotaicho, Zangetsu50, ichigos future wife, TheDarkSlayer, mary lou and hitsugayatoshirou1220 for their reviews! Please let me know what you think with more! **

They stood, face to face in absolute silence. The only noise was the roaring flames down below, the crackling and sparkling fires shooting up around them. They couldn't even hear the screams they were so high up. Ichigo stared at Renji, the man looking at him from across the staircase, his appearance unchanged. Yet, he seemed so distant. He was no longer that goofball lieutenant of the sixth division. His eyes, they were surrounded by dark rings as if he hadn't slept in weeks, his hands shaking. The man's red ponytail was more unkempt and wild than usual, the bandage around his head torn and dirtied. Uryu's eyes fluttered open and he looked up, catching a blurred glimpse of the scene from the bottom stair.

'A…Abarai?' he whispered in disbelief. Ichigo kept on staring, Inoue looking away. She'd seen it was him earlier on when Gin kidnapped her, but had completely forgotten after seeing Ichigo again.

'W…what the hell's going on?' Ichigo stammered, Renji standing still, stoic, almost resembling his fallen captain. The orange haired boy clenched his hands around his sword, shaking his head furiously, tears sparkling in his eyes. 'Urahara-san, Byakuya, Mayuri…' he grimaced, shuddering, his shoulders lurching. '…WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON, RENJI!'

There was silence again. Renji closed his eyes and held out his hand, the wind catching his long, draping sleeve.

'They all died for a cause. They all died to bring Rukia back!' Abarai exclaimed, Ichigo's eyes widening. Shaking his head still, Ichigo looked up to protest when his eyes fell on Renji's, a small, but unmistakable purple gleam in them. Looking past his shoulder, the shadowy figure of Aizen stood just behind the fallen Shinigami, a malicious grin on his face.

'You…you…' Ichigo began, his sword rattling. '…Renji…you've got to ignore the Hogyoku…it won't bring her back…you've got to ignore its orders.' he pleaded with his friend, Renji smirking.

'Its orders? They're my orders. I listen only to me Ichigo!' he boomed, Ichigo stepping forwards, sweat running down his face as he strained to scream and shout at this deluded man.

'IS THAT WHY AIZEN HAS BEEN ON YOUR SHOULDER THE ENTIRE TIME! FEEDING YOU LIES AND HATE! WAKE UP, RENJI!' Ichigo shrieked again, Orihime beside herself with both fright and anguish, looking at Kurosaki as if he were some monster now. Renji opened his arms and laughed, his eyes flaring up from the fire.

'You fool! Don't you dream of becoming stronger? With this power I surpassed Captain Kuchiki, I…' he began but Ichigo interrupted him.

'YOU DIDN'T SURPASS HIM, YOU KILLED HIM!' he roared. Renji lowered his head and sighed, gripping his zanpakuto.

'I didn't want it to go this way, Ichigo. But, it's clear now you don't know the ways of the Shinigami at all.' the lieutenant said woefully, when suddenly, a tear ran down his cheek, Ichigo taken aback. Then…his eyes calmed.

'Renji…what have you done…?' Ichigo said softly, a single bead of sadness falling to the floor. With that, they clashed, sparks flying in between their blades as they sped around, spinning before hitting again, smashing apart and launching themselves up into the air. Aizen watched them fly, raising his hands, laughing, like a puppeteer commanding an army of fools. In the blood red sky above, Ichigo was being torn up by the heat. He was breathing heavily, wiping the sweat from his brow as Renji came in for another strike. Kurosaki slammed his blade into his friend's and pushed, Abarai doing the same, sparks shooting out wildly, temporarily obscuring their vision before they back off from each other, Renji twirling his blade in his hand.

'I don't want to do this Renji! You know you can't win! Stop it now!' Ichigo barked, his hair matting to his face as the lieutenant watched him coldly, his eyes a burning red. Ichigo cursed and grasped his sword. '_He won't listen…I don't want to fight you Renji…since when have circumstances mattered when it came to my friends? I did what I had to do. I defeated Grimmjow to save Inoue…I defeated Ulquiorra to save my friends…I will defeat Aizen to save the Soul Society…_' he thought to himself, blocking another slash, Renji vanishing, bringing a fist down upon Ichigo's head. The boy span round, catching the rocketing hand and forcing it back, the two stalemating, reiatsu pouring out of them, Ichigo's eyes inches away from his friend's as they pushed harder. '_…you don't come into that anywhere Renji…we fight on the same side!_' he thought, forcing Renji down, the man landing heavily back onto the staircase.

'Roar, Zabimaru!' growled Renji, his sword lunging for Ichigo, the boy dodging the predator. It came back round, Ichigo piercing it head on, the screeching of metal ringing in his ears. The body of the weapon began to coil up as they closed in on each other before Renji retracted it, Ichigo stumbling forwards clumsily. Taking his chance, Renji planted an elbow on Ichigo's back, the substitute Shinigami coughing blood, suspended on the point of impact before flying downwards and smashing straight through the staircase, chunks of it floating off around them. Inoue shrieked, Uryu leaping up and grabbing a hold of her hand as she fell, helping her up, the fires churning far below. Bursting out of the debris, Ichigo landed softly on one of the floating chunks, wiping blood from his mouth. Renji pulled his shikai back to him, clicking it together.

'Give it up…Ichigo…' panted the man, Kurosaki shaking his head defiantly. 'Then die!' he cried, flinging his blade at Ichigo.

'Getsuga…' Kurosaki purred dangerously, sliding his sword along the edge of Renji's ongoing sword, stopping inches away from the surprised lieutenant's face. '…TENSHOU!' he boomed, the black blast exploding with an earth shattering crash, Ichigo darting aside, his cloak whipping up around him, Renji staggering out of the blast, his hair untied, the long, red gown of hair flowing out in the wind as blood ran down his head. Abarai was wheezing heavily, blood dribbling out of his mouth with every breath. Ichigo swept his sword out by his side, blood suddenly spilling from a wound on his cheek.

'I've had enough, Renji. I don't want to kill you.' Ichigo said, shaking his head firmly. Lifting his sword, Renji roared, his eyes opening maniacally, his hair flying outwards, a red aura covering his body.

'BANKAI!' he cried, his sword billowing out, transforming into a gigantic bone like snake, crimson flames in between each of the joints, a furry coat covering his shoulders as he pulled the monstrous beast to his side. 'Hihio Zabimaru.' Ichigo narrowed his eyes, staring into the creature's skull.

'Don't make me do this…' he whispered, Renji sending the weapon soaring towards him. Ichigo flipped over it and landed on it's back, darting towards the wielder. He swung downwards, a black mist collecting on his blade.

'Don't get cocky!' Abarai snapped, pulling his weapon back, the snake rearing it's head. It lunged for Ichigo, the boy bounding over it, launching his blast into the back of the monster's head. The weapon shattered and Ichigo sped towards Renji, his sword by his side. In a flash of red, the Bankai had rebuilt itself, pulling itself together by ropes of red electricity. It spun towards the boy, Ichigo ramming his sword into its mouth and blasting it apart, the head flying over and under him in two pieces before rebuilding itself again, the reiatsu connecting the parts turning a deep purple.

'_Renji…the Hogyoku has taken your heart._' Ichigo thought to himself, clutching his sword. Renji aimed the monster at his friend and launched it, Ichigo flipping over it as it opened its mouth.

'Hikotsu Taihou!' he cried, the serpent spinning round before blasting a red beam from its mouth. Ichigo prepared himself, the heat of the attack getting closer and he leapt again, narrowly dodging the tearing pressure and he drove his feet downwards into the body of the weapon. It jolted as he crashed into it, cracking and splitting the segments, reiatsu shooting out as the Hikotsu Taihou collapsed in on itself, shattering the entire Bankai, Ichigo leaping away in time as it, and Renji, exploded in a ball of red fire in the sky. As the enemy disappeared into a plume of smoke, Ichigo turned, focusing his eyes on the staircase. Then, he saw it. Orihime was being covered in a tight, white bandage like cocoon, her muffled screams indicating great pain as her remaining eye widened. Ichigo gasped and dashed towards her, rocketing towards the staircase, Uryu nowhere to be seen.

'INOUE!' Kurosaki cried, reaching out to her, the girl tied together by this substance. Suddenly, Gin was in front of him, his smirking, demonic face and his lightning quick blade pushing Ichigo backwards, the boy skidding across the staircase.

'She's bein' consumed by the Hogyoku so she can be offered to the Sokyoku. There's nothin' ya can do for her.' Ichimaru glared, the girl's remaining eye looking around frantically.

'Hold on Inoue, I'll get you out of there!' Ichigo shouted to her, Gin rubbing the back of his neck lazily.

'How many times do I have to tell ya? Ya ain't gettin' her out.' he sighed, striding towards the boy. In a rage, Ichigo reached for his mask, feeling Aizen instantly appear behind him, the two devils closing in, one on either side.

'You're going to use it?' Aizen asked, mockingly.

'I thought it was broken, right, Cap'n Aizen?' Gin chuckled, feigning deep thought. Aizen nodded his head, raising his hands to a shrug.

'I don't know, I guess young Kurosaki thinks he can use it…' he hissed, lowering himself down towards Ichigo. '…but does he really know what he is doing?' Ichigo leapt away, disgusted. He summoned his mask, but the air was filled with a ferocious black static, crackling and shooting off of Ichigo's face, the boy roaring in pain before releasing himself, breathing slowly.

'_Damn…I still need Inoue to reject me for it to work…_' he thought to himself, grimacing from the pain as he arose from one knee. Then, almost out of nowhere, Ichigo was attacked from behind, someone lifting him up and throwing him back up into the sky, the boy landing carefully onto one of the floating chunks of stone. Looking around, he saw Renji stand tall above him. It was a sight he wish he had never laid eyes on. The fires coiled up around the man, his shihakusho torn open, a section of the Hogyoku implanted into his chest, a horrific, bone white mask attached to his face, his long, flailing red hair gushing from the back of it.

'_**Do you like what you see, Ichigo?**_' Renji spoke, the mask cracking, teeth forming from it. They were sharp and jagged, like that of a serpent's. The eye holes were like slits and he made a hissing sound with his rattling breath. '_**This is what I would do to see Rukia walk through those gates and into her home again.**_' Renji explained, a solemn tone in his unrecognisable voice. Ichigo's eyes fell from the mask to the Hogyoku shards in the man's chest.

'_Renji…what have you done to yourself…?_' the orange haired Shinigami thought to himself. However, his gaze fell on Aizen, the man still standing on the staircase. Ichigo clenched his fist and shouted to the villain. 'No…was this you? WAS THIS YOUR WORK AGAIN!' His answer was plain to see as Aizen's evil grin was visible beneath his shadowy eyes. Turning back frantically to his friend, Ichigo reached out to him, beginning to cry now, shaking his head as if in denial of his emotions.

'Renji…please don't do this…you're my friend…' he choked, the man standing before him now silent, watching observantly, sword in hand. Ichigo hunched over, his hands gripping his knees as he cried even harder, his hair hanging down over his face. Finally, he wiped away his tears and gripped Zangetsu, standing to his feet, his shihakusho rippling proudly out behind him.

'Renji!' he cried, his voice croaky, but strong. 'I know this isn't you. So do you. Remove the mask. Don't follow the same fate as me.' he begged, Renji feeling the mask upon his face.

'_**Fate? Same fate as you? I am nothing like you.**_' Abarai scoffed, Ichigo cursing.

'I don't know what he has told you, but it's all bullshit!' cried the boy, Renji raising his arms to the side, leaning backwards and laughing, a hoarse, inhuman laugh.

'_**You…you know nothing of my fate! My fate is set in stone! I met Rukia…back in the Rukon district along time before you were born! My ties are cut between her and it is my solemn duty to repair them by whatever means! I should never have let her go and for that crime, I killed Captain Kuchiki, for he stole her from her home!**_' Renji shrieked, Ichigo able to do nothing but listen. Suddenly, Renji pounced on him, the two locking blades, Kurosaki back flipping over Renji, the man turning, a bright red cero building up in his mouth as he unleashed it at Ichigo, the boy countering with a quick and prudent blast.

'_**Then, she was confined to the real world…she should never have been there, I would never have had to go and take her, condemn her to death! For that crime, I killed Kisuke Urahara!**_' Renji scorned, slicing into Ichigo's chest, blood spraying into the air. The lieutenant grappled with Ichigo's collar, lifting him high above his head. '_**I killed Captain Kurotsuchi for the crime of aiding that madman Urahara!**_' he cried but Kurosaki shouted down at him, the emotion tight in his throat.

'It was never your choice to kill them! It was all Aizen! He made you through the Hogyoku!' he declared, but Renji cast him aside, Ichigo spitting blood, the man standing, hunched over slightly, his hair billowing out behind him, the mask shadowed with the blood red sun.

'_**You bastard…you changed her destiny for the worse, you would now try to do the same to me?**_' he growled, Ichigo to tears as he stared at Renji, at a complete loss for words.

'_He's gone…my friend is gone…I…I…I don't know what to do…_' Ichigo spluttered, looking up, his eyes a raw red from crying, Renji looming over him, overshadowing him. 'Renji…you're my friend. You're wrong…' Ichigo sobbed, cursing himself. Shaking violently, Renji roared suddenly, a bright red aura surrounding him as he crushed his zanpakuto in his hand, the flames bursting out of it and engulfing him, his body disappearing into the bright light, only his eye visible in the immense twister of reiatsu.

'_**I'm wrong? Then simply die at the feet of my resurreccion.**_' he said quietly, Ichigo gasping, looking up at the godly figure standing before him, wrapped in a towering inferno of red reiatsu.

'_**Zabimaru Babuino Dios! (Baboon Lord)**_' he cried hoarsely, the inferno swallowing him up, Ichigo leaping to his feet and flying backwards, the light exploding violently outwards, a snake hissing somewhere as the smoke began to clear.

'It begins.' Aizen said, amused, standing and watching from the staircase. 'You may watch as well, Orihime.' he smiled sickly. From the torrent of reiatsu, a skeletal foot stepped out. Ichigo watched in pure horror as a humanoid skeletal serpent appeared, a thick collar of billowing red fur around its neck, the tattered remains of a shihakusho hanging from across its torso. Renji's red hair was still there, flowing from the back of his head, now a skull, his tattoos etched into his forehead, glowing a menacing red, enormous horns rising from his scalp. Every bone was on show, from its rib cage, to its spine, hidden only slightly by the tufts of fur and straggles of cloth. Opening his mouth, Abarai breathed out deeply, the Hogyoku pieces residing within his rib cage, glowing purple. Flexing his bony fingers, he clicked them into place before looking up into the sky and screaming, roaring a blood curdling roar.

'Renji…?' Ichigo whispered. '_…is this what it's like for Inoue and the others when they see me? This…this is the worst, darkest feeling in the world. He's lost himself. Aizen…that bastard has burnt his mind away. Well…if I go…I promise you one thing Renji…_' Ichigo thought to himself, readying his blade as Renji's beastly form pounced at him, as if he spotted prey.

'I…' he roared, swinging his sword to meet his foe. '…I WILL PROTECT YOU!' he screamed, the black energy colliding instantly with the red, Renji breaking through and slashing Ichigo across the chest. In that second, Zangetsu snapped in half and Kurosaki gargled on blood, Renji's new body watching him fall, the boy landing hard on his back, blood splattering out across the floor far below.

'_Kurosaki-kun!_' Orihime thought to herself, unable to move. Ichigo's body had fallen past the staircase and vanished into the fiery abyss below. She began to cry, shaking fiercely, whimpering erratically.

'I guess that's that.' Gin said softly, Aizen looking over the edge, a blank expression on his face.

'_Kurosaki-kun can't be dead…Kurosaki-kun…would never promise that…and fail to win…I remember…always believing you'd come through…even against Ulquiorra you pulled through somehow…but now…against Abarai-kun…oh, Kurosaki-kun…_' she thought to herself, weeping uncontrollably. '_I…I will reject you…Kurosaki-kun…I don't care if it's too late…for that one…whom you could love five times over…it's never too late!_' she screamed inside her mind, the bindings of the Hogyoku loosening as she forced her way out. '_I must protect you now Kurosaki-kun…so you can protect us. Please…oh…please…please return…_' she thought, a determined look on her face as she called out at last.

'Santen Kesshun…I reject!' she screamed, the bandages snapping off of her, the two villains turning, looking in complete shock.

'She…?' Gin stammered.

'…overpowered the Hogyoku…?' Aizen muttered, the reiatsu flourishing in the air. The orange lights burst off of her hairpin and sped towards the edge, diving over the side and vanishing out of sight. Orihime stood, her heart racing. There was complete silence. Then, she thought she heard something. Was it something? No…it couldn't have been…but perhaps…it was unmistakable. In a brilliant flash of black, something rocketed up from the ground below, barrelling past the staircase and aiming straight for Renji. In a single stroke, Abarai's arm exploded with blood, falling from him. The monster turned slowly, Ichigo standing tall, his coat fluttering behind him.

'_**Thank you, Inoue. At last…**_' he whispered, turning, his mask finally upon his face. '**_…I can end this._**'

**71511, AAA ASRA AAA, animelover1993, artemishuntress88, burgsmith, derderxp, Hidemitsu Samanosuke Akechi jr, Mina Ravenclaw, kr313, Kuiinsama, Ayje, beyondrepent, peach77, Pharoahatem, shadowgouf, symbion, timbercat133, Golden Feathers, henriette, Kyliwolf, Kyrial Halcoryn, Paleshadow20, SeraphinaDonna and TerminalKnitwear please review as this chapter is definitely on of the ones I really worked on, so please consider it, thank you :)**


	15. Ascension 4

**Alright, another chapter. This one's a long one, I really felt like it. Anyways, thanks for the reviews from fuzzibunniez, ichigos future wife, Illidan the Half Demon, hitsugayatoshirou1220 and Zangetsu50! Please keep reviewing guys! Thanks :D**

There was a fierce rush of jet black reiatsu, lined with a blood red aura that swooped across the sky, illuminating the staircase, Inoue looking up, the reiatsu reflecting in her glassy eyes.

'Kurosaki-kun…' she whispered, her hair flustering out behind her, flailing wildly as she stood, arms by her side, watching as the reiatsu spun around in the air. At last it flew off, shooting downwards and smashing into the ground far below, Ichigo standing tall, his shihakusho repaired. On his face was a white mask with two black lines running down it, his orange hair blowing softly atop his head. Opening his eyes, the boy looked around, down at the girl. She smiled, glad to see his normal, human eyes beneath the mask.

'Kurosaki-kun is here…' she whispered to herself, clutching her hands up to her heart. Holding out his sword, he span it round in his fingers, grasping the hilt in his hand.

'_**Inoue…just hold on a little longer. I'll save you.**_' Ichigo called to her, the girl glad to hear him speak. She nodded firmly and took a small step back, Aizen and Gin watching from the edge of the platform, their white coats billowing in the wind. Ichigo turned to face the monstrous Renji, the skeletal beast lifting its head, the mane of red hair dropping down its back. Slowly, Ichigo raised a hand to his chest, the pain seeping away. He felt soothed and breathed out deeply, the Hogyoku crumbling away, turning into specks of purple dust before fluttering towards the Sokyoku.

'_**What…?**_' Ichigo asked, looking down at his normal chest now.

'I think I can explain.' came a voice and Ichigo looked down, Aizen standing, one hand in his pocket, the other out by his side as he smirked, his hair blowing in the humid wind. 'Your Hollow powers and the Hogyoku were constantly repelling one another with the Hogyoku being the dominant force. Now that you successfully summoned your mask however, it has been reversed, allowing for the Hollow to become dominant, expelling the Hogyoku.' he explained, looking up at Ichigo, smiling nastily. Suddenly, Ichigo realised something.

'_Wait! Didn't Aizen say something about his spirit being partially inside of the Hogyoku? So, now that those pieces have been absorbed by the Sokyoku…he should be slightly weaker! This is my chance!_' Ichigo thought to himself. Gathering his strength he zoomed towards Sosuke, the man lifting his head slowly as the boy leapt above him, his sword raised.

'_**Getsuga…**_' he began but he was struck in the side, his body being thrown into a nearby tower, dust blasting out of the wall as he hit it, bursting out of the other side. From the dust, Renji rose, facing Ichigo, the boy staggering to collect his balance. Nodding reluctantly, Kurosaki vanished, appearing beside the released Abarai. Swinging out, the monster caught his sword in his remaining hand. Ichigo watched in horror as the creature gasped for air before unleashing a terrifying, blood curdling Hollow scream, its arm rebuilding itself.

'_High speed regeneration!_' Ichigo choked, backing off instantly as the new arm was finished, Renji flexing his fingers. Charging a blast of energy, Ichigo gasped as the monster was suddenly behind him. In a flash, the substitute Shinigami span round, launching an explosive Getsuga Tenshou at his foe, the sky lighting up as it erupted upon impact, shooting out in the air. Ichigo emerged from the smoke, his mask cracking. He looked around worriedly, the beast leaping out of the dust behind him, screeching wildly. Turning sharply, Ichigo brought his sword up too late and was struck on the face by Renji's bony claws, a chunk of Ichigo's mask falling off as he careened into a wall of stone surrounding one of the tower blocks. Spluttering, Ichigo broke free of some loose rocks when Renji's imposing figure was instantly in front of him, grabbing his head and slamming it back into the wall. Renji began to charge a brilliant crimson cero from his horns when Ichigo stabbed him through the rib cage. Looking down, the fallen Shinigami had just enough time to look up at a beaten up Kurosaki's face, or half of it anyway, some of the mask crumbling away.

'_**Getsuga Tenshou.**_' he breathed, the black and red reiatsu scoring through Renji, lighting him up, Ichigo bounding away as the area collapsed in a ball of power. Floating in the sky, Ichigo panted, running a hand over his face, pulling the lost half of his mask back. Looking around, he stared dreamily at the area he had just come from, feeling the wind running up his spine. It took only a second, but Renji was back in front of him. In a flash Ichigo felt something hit his face, the enemy's tail swinging back behind him. He had heard the crunch and tasted the blood, but it was only until his mask exploded did the orange haired boy realise what had happened. He plummeted towards the Seireitei and crashed onto the floor amidst chunks of stone, blood and fire. His eyes were watery and blurred and he rubbed his head, closing his eyes. At that point, everything went black.

'_**Yo! Wake up!**_' came a voice. Ichigo's eyes fluttered open and he blinked. Above him was the point of a sword and he cursed, rolling aside as the blade came crashing down, slamming into the ground beside him, the sound of shattering glass ringing in Ichigo's ears. Standing to his feet, Kurosaki turned but was immediately met with a sword at his neck.

'_**How's it goin', Champ?**_' came Hollow Ichigo, the bone white doppelganger grinning sadistically before kicking Ichigo in the stomach, the boy launched across the sideways skyscraper. Ichigo came to a crashing halt and mumbled something before staggering upwards, only to be met with a punch to the face, Hollow Ichigo throwing an all out onslaught of strikes.

'_**I won't have you dyin' on me, Ichigo.**_' he taunted, stepping on Ichigo's chest, the boy wheezing violently. In a quick move, Kurosaki grabbed Hollow Ichigo's ankle and twisted it before kicking the spirit's other leg, Hollow Ichigo leaping aside, back flipping over in the air before landing neatly on the ground, Ichigo bouncing up onto his feet, flexing his arms.

'I won't let you fight Renji. You'll kill him.' he said adamantly. Hollow Ichigo made a disgusted sound as Ichigo turned and began walking away.

'_**You'll fail them all you know.**_' he mocked, Ichigo stopping in his tracks. '_**That's right. Those who are actually still alive are gonna be countin' on you to save them. Are you really gonna wimp out and just get yourself killed?**_' Hollow Ichigo asked, a sly grin on his face.

'_**You should really be angrier than this. Your dad died in vain. Aizen planted his spirit in you and 'cause of that, you had to sit through countless visions and dreams, some horrifying nightmares!**_' Hollow Ichigo giggled, skipping beside his counterpart, Ichigo cursing and looking away, clenching his fist. Hollow Ichigo rested an elbow on Ichigo's shoulder and started comically looking at his nails.

'_**Not only that…but Rukia got killed too.**_' he reminded him, slapping Ichigo heartily on the back. '_**Not to mention Urahara, Kuchiki…**_' he began, Ichigo turning to him fiercely.

'That's enough!' he snapped, his body shaking. 'None of that was Renji's fault, he…' Kurosaki began, shuddering from his anger. Hollow Ichigo nodded, swooping towards Ichigo. Ichigo felt his mind beginning to get cold and void of anything but space. He realised Hollow Ichigo had begun to take over.

'_**Remember champ, he isn't your ol' pal Renji anymore. Just let me have some fun. Heck, what can you do now? Your anger just made it easier for me to get out! Ah ha ha ha hee hee hee ha!**_' he laughed maniacally, vanishing into a wispy strand of smoke, his laugh echoing around the space, Ichigo grabbing his head, straining, his body falling weak…

From the black fires, a horned Ichigo rose. His mask now more of a helmet with the two thick black lines on them, shaped like a skull, his eyes were no longer visible. His orange mane resembled Renji's now and he had an enormous Hollow hole in his chest, surrounded by black, tribal markings, his fingers clawed as were his toes now as well. A low rattling sound came from the mask, presumably his breathing. Orihime's breath was caught in her throat as she saw it stand.

'_It…it can't be…not that thing again…Kurosaki-kun!_' she thought, her mind focusing only now on Ichigo. Across from her, Aizen and Gin observed, the two of them grinning nastily. In the sky, Renji stepped forwards, growling, taking a look at his new foe. Out of nowhere, Ichigo struck, grabbing Renji's arm and tearing it off, the bone snapping in half as Ichigo launched it down at the ground. Renji shrieked, appearing behind Ichigo and grappling with his hair, planting a fist into the Hollow's back. The two of them unleashed terrible cries, the fires rising up around them. In a mix of blood and bone, Renji's arm returned, the creature lowering his head, charging a cero. Suddenly, Ichigo rammed into him, their horns tangled, both charging massive ceros. The tangled mess of horn and cero exploded into life, a gigantic ball of crimson rippling out across the Seireitei, severing several towers. The two figures leapt apart from the smoke, blood running down them as they watched one another, preparing for another strike. They lunged, Ichigo swinging with his zanpakuto, Renji catching the blade and striking him with his tail. Countering fast, Ichigo roared insanely and tore Renji's tail off. It became a sick mess of limbs ripping, flesh tearing, blood spilling furious combat, the two horned beasts lashing out at one another, striking and screaming.

'My oh my…it's like watching two demons in Hell.' commented Ichimaru, covering his brow with his hand.

'This is perfect. The two will kill each other and both their souls will be fed to the Sokyoku.' Aizen said with a cruel glee, watching the furious battle above. Spinning around, Renji aimed a brutal barrage of vicious kicks at his opponent, Ichigo casually dodging them all, stepping side to side before thrusting out with his palm, crushing Renji's leg. The monster screamed in pain before beginning to regenerate it. Kurosaki disappeared, reappearing beside the former lieutenant, swinging his blade, a Getsuga Tenshou built up on the end. In a surprising move, Renji grabbed the sword in his palm and leant over, throttling Ichigo before biting down on one of his arms, removing a chunk of flesh, roaring into the sky like a wild animal. Ichigo screamed a scarily humane scream before pounding Abarai in the side, the two of them leaping away from one another again. They darted through the sky, dancing almost, the flames crawling up the towers around them. Renji landed softly in the air next to Ichigo, the orange haired monster lashing out furiously, wildly swinging his blade. Abarai dodged before being slashed on the face, a sickening crack heard as a small splinter of his skull flew off, the creature vanishing. Lowering himself, Ichigo prepared another enormous cero, the crimson ball spinning around between his horns, whirring as it got faster. In a flash, Renji was in front of the blast, punching his hand into the centre of it, the attack shooting off into multiple direction, Kurosaki forcing the blast towards his opponent. With a dainty manoeuvre, Abarai slipped under the attack, the beam eradicating a tower in the distance. Rising up, he plunged a fist into Ichigo's stomach, the horned creature spitting blood. The two backed up and stared at one another, watching in silence, their long hair billowing out behind them.

'So here we are.' Aizen muttered, watching them in some form of awe. Flinging his arms out in front of him, Renji screamed, a blistering red aura shooting up around him. His bones separated by a red reiatsu, he swung his arms at Ichigo, the interlocking sections becoming fierce blades. Throwing one swipe at the boy, Kurosaki dodged, diving to the side, Renji's flailing arm swinging downwards like a pendulum, smashing into the Rukon district below, dust flying upwards, pieces of wooden houses splintering. His other arm, he swung again, the blades coming fast towards Ichigo. Roaring, Ichigo blocked it with Zangetsu, black sparks shooting out as he was thrown backwards. Unleashing a scream, Ichigo smashed the bladed arm aside, lunging for Renji. Retracting his limbs, Abarai hunched over before opening his chest, swords springing out, brutally and bloodily impaling Ichigo. Inoue's eyes widened as blood rained down, a deathly silence falling over everyone.

'Kurosaki-kun…' she whispered. Ichigo hung his head, Renji looking down upon him when suddenly, Kurosaki snapped his arm up and clutched his opponent's face. Aizen's eyes widened as Ichigo pulled his claw like fingers together, Renji's breath rattling loudly and heavily beneath his skull.

'_**Be gone…!**_' Ichigo growled, shattering his enemy's face. Then, it happened. It was like a bolt of lightning. There was an earth shattering explosion of red light and Renji's bones vanished into dust, leaving his old, Shinigami self beneath, the fur disappearing into the air around them. Uttering a long sigh, Renji's long hair seeped over his shoulders as he stumbled forwards, Ichigo holding his shoulder to keep him upright. Aizen narrowed his eyes at them, tilting his head.

'…what?' he sneered. Then, Kurosaki brought his hilt to his face and slammed it into his mask, cracking it before it crumbled from his face. Underneath, the boy opened his eyes, the black sclera fading slowly as he smiled warmly at the lieutenant who rubbed his forehead, the pieces of the Hogyoku in his chest slowly disappearing also. Ichigo watched him for a moment before looking down, Aizen clapping sarcastically.

'I see. You had your conscience the whole time didn't you? It was your objective to merely break the masks, wasn't it? Clever.' he realised. Ichigo watched him, the two of them locking eyes.

'Ichigo…' came a voice and the boy looked round, Renji holding out his hand to him. Ichigo smiled weakly at him, but saw his hand was beginning to vanish. Kurosaki fought back the urge to cry again, watching as Abarai stared at him, his forearm gone completely. Then, as if out of nowhere, Renji hung his head and began to sob, the tears running down his cheeks, his shoulders jolting as he cried, Ichigo standing in silence, watching down at him.

'_His wounds…he's taken so much damage…Renji I never meant for this. Please, forgive me…_' he thought, watching the man cry as his legs too began to disappear.

'Ichigo…I never wanted any of this…I only wanted to save Rukia! I wanted to be the one to help her this time!' he shook, looking down at his remaining hand, his tears dropping onto his palm.

'What have I done…?' he cursed his own name, shaking his head. 'WHAT HAVE I DONE!' he lifted his head, roaring into the sky, his eyes watering. Ichigo looked on solemnly, Renji's torso and one arm remaining. The two looked at each other.

'Thank you for killing me Ichigo. Now, at least I can be with her. At least…' he sighed, smiling softly. '…at least I can ask for her forgiveness in death as well.' Renji straightened up, whatever remained of him did anyway, now his red hair disappearing slightly, fading into the wind at the bottom.

'Renji…' Ichigo whispered. '…it doesn't have to end here. Not just yet. You can still help me against the one who did this.' he said sternly, Renji looking up at him, then down at his sword. He turned to Aizen and rose his arm, readying himself. Breathing out deeply, he prepared to strike when his sword simply blew away in his palm. Resigning himself, he chuckled and ran his hand through his hair.

'I thought so…' he smirked. '…I'm done. See you around, Ichigo.' he whispered again, turning away from him, the remainder of his body twisting and vanishing slowly in the wind. 'Thank you.' he sighed, tears running down Ichigo's face again as he watched the last of Renji Abarai vanish into the wind.

'Hmm…it's a shame. I thought they would both be destroyed.' Aizen said to Gin. 'No matter. Lieutenant Abarai will be sent to the Sokyoku and we can deal with Kurosaki Ichigo.' he grinned, Ichigo spinning round and diving towards the enemy.

'YOU BASTARD!' he shrieked in anguish, Aizen looking up casually at him. Slithering into place, Gin stepped up, blocking Ichigo, the clash bursting sections of stone away from the staircase, their hair rippling furiously in the reiatsu.

'Don't try anything stupid. Ya don't wanna be humiliated.' Ichimaru said slyly, forcing Ichigo back. However, Kurosaki pressed on, slamming his zanpakuto into Gin's over and over when, out of the blue, Uryu leapt up behind the villain, Gin turning, watching him spiral over him. Landing softly next to Ichigo, the orange haired boy looked dumbfounded at the Quincy, Ishida turning to Gin.

'Ishida, Renji…' Ichigo began, but Uryu shot a dark look at him hurriedly.

'No time. You take Aizen alone. I will deal with Ichimaru.' the Quincy proposed, Ichigo taken aback, but able to merely nod. Gin span his wakizashi in his hand, making his way slowly over to them.

'Oh dear…but you simply won't do. I already told you I don't want to fight you, Quincy boy.' sniggered the snake like man, Uryu scowling at him, bow at the ready. Sprinting towards Gin, Ishida unleashed a torrent of arrows, a blur of blue stampeding towards Ichimaru who vanished, appearing beside Uryu and slicing his arm as he glided past, Ishida's eyes wide as the blood dribbled down his sleeve and onto the staircase. Falling to one knee, Uryu rose again, only to be slashed on the other arm, a slither of his white sleeve blown over the edge. Standing, he turned to Gin, both his arms bleeding, but still he fired arrows at the man. Sighing, Ichimaru raised his arm to one side and opened his eyes, smiling thinly at the Quincy.

'I guess I'll have to do this the hard way, seeing as ya just don't quit. Bankai!' he hissed, a shockwave rippling out across the Seireitei. However, his sword remained the same and Uryu grinned. Advancing on Ichimaru, the boy pulled up his weapon again, but Ichigo turned to look, his breath caught in his throat as Gin pulled the sword up to his chest.

'URYU LOOK OUT!' Ichigo roared but Gin was sneering.

'Kamishini no Yari. Butou Renjin.' he leered and suddenly, Uryu was gone in a cloud of dust, the sound of a blade clicking in and out repeatedly over and over ringing into the sky.

'URYU!' Ichigo cried again, the dust clearing. Uryu was on the floor, face down, blood splattered underneath him. Gin lifted an eyebrow and stepped over the boy's body, making his way to Ichigo.

'Perhaps I was a lil' harsh. Still, he was askin' for it.' he grinned but someone suddenly caught his foot and he looked down, Uryu staggering to his feet, blood leaking from almost every visible part of his body. Smiling to himself, Ishida looked up, past the cracks in his lenses and he tightened his grip on Ichimaru's ankle.

'Licht…Regen!' he exclaimed, Gin's eyes opening in shock as the wave of blue arrows exploded, shattering their section of the staircase. Stumbling from the plume of rising smoke, Gin coughed, blood running down his face, his sleeves ripped and torn, red dripping from his fingers as he spluttered, his hair matted to his face.

'Well now…you don't know when to quit.' he said angrily, Uryu appearing through the smoke. However, he wasn't moving. Ichigo stepped forwards, almost urging Ishida to dive aside. Uryu looked down at the floor in front of him. It was blurred and shaking, shuddering from side to side.

'_I…I can't move. That…Licht Regen…sapped all of my strength._' he thought to himself. Ichigo realised this and pounced on Gin, but it was too late. The blade struck Uryu through the chest, blood spraying the floor behind the Quincy as he fell to his knees, Gin retracting the blade. There was a flash of black however and Ichimaru's arm fell to the floor, Ichigo landing roughly beside Uryu. Gin looked at his missing limb like it was no more than an inconvenience, Aizen stepping up behind him.

'That was your fault Gin. You were messing around with the Quincy.' he remarked, Gin shrugging sheepishly.

'Sorry Cap'n Aizen, guess I got a lil' carried away.' chuckled the man, the two of them watching Ichigo and Uryu. Stammering, Ishida looked up weakly at Ichigo. Kurosaki was feeling something new however. This battle…it had torn every inch of sadness out of him. Now…there was nothing left in him to cry.

'Kurosaki…' came Uryu's weak voice, the orange haired boy looking down. '…no matter what…protect Inoue-san…' he groaned, Ichigo nodding. Rolling over, Uryu smiled up at Inoue, the girl being caught by the Hogyoku again. The two of them catch each other's eyes and Ishida flashes her a faint smile before his body drifts away into the wind. Rising slowly to his feet, Ichigo kept his back to the enemy.

'Well, about ready to quit? All your friends are dead and Orihime soon to join them. You have lost. Fought gallantly…but lost, all the same.' Aizen gloated, Ichigo's head hung. 'What will you do now, Kurosaki Ichigo?' he asked, the boy turning to him, sword raised. His eyes flared blue and he built up a reiatsu around him, his torn, black coat swaying with the force.

'I will end this. Now.' he declared, Gin stepping up once again, a villainous grin on his face.

'Well then, seein' as ya took off my arm, I'm about ready to repay the favour!' Ichimaru said with glee, stepping out directly in front of Sosuke. 'I'll finish the kid, Cap'n Aizen.' Gin began, but in a second he was cut down, Aizen's sword out to the side, blood flowing from it. Ichigo watched in absolute shock as Gin teetered on the side, looking up at his friend, the man sneering at him, Ichimaru's eyes wide, blood gushing from his side.

'No. I'm sorry, Gin, but I just don't have a use for you anymore. At least you can be of service now to the Sokyoku.' Aizen smiled softly, casting Gin's body from the staircase. The towering purple inferno flared up on the Sokyoku Hill, Aizen turning to Ichigo at last, horribly mutated from the reiatsu, the Hogyoku shards jutting from his chest, the vines crawling up his arms, neck and face, his eyes a deep purple now as his ripped white coat billowed out behind him.

'Now…come, Kurosaki Ichigo! I feel more powerful than ever before!' he laughed, Ichigo snarling at the man, clutching his sword tight. 'Let's see what you can really do!'

**71511, AAA ASRA AAA, animelover1993, artemishuntress88, burgsmith, derderxp, Hidemitsu Samanosuke Akechi jr, Mina Ravenclaw, kr313, Kuiinsama, Ayje, beyondrepent, peach77, Pharoahatem, shadowgouf, symbion, timbercat133, Golden Feathers, henriette, Kyliwolf, Kyrial Halcoryn, Paleshadow20, SeraphinaDonna and TerminalKnitwear I hope you decide to review, enjoy the chapter ^^**


	16. Ascension 5

**The countdown to the end is truly away now! Thank you all so much for your interest and I really hope you've enjoyed the fic. Thank you to fuzzibunniez, TheDarkSlayer, Illidan the Half Demon, Zangetsu50 and hitsugayatoshirou1220 for your reviews! Please keep them coming :D**

Ichigo swung his blade at Aizen, speeding towards the man and swiping upwards. Aizen caught the sword fast in his hand, Ichigo gasping. The purple vines began to move along the blade's edge and Kurosaki hoisted it away from the man in time. Reaching out, Sosuke hit Ichigo across the chest with his hand, blood spurting out of the boy's shoulder. Stumbling backwards, the orange haired boy collected himself and looked up at the enemy, panting, sweat running down his forehead.

'Come now, Kurosaki Ichigo. You must be able to fight better than this.' Aizen smiled thinly, Ichigo leaping at him. Reflexively, Sosuke lashed out with his blade but Ichigo was gone. Aizen's eyes widened as the boy appeared behind him, weapon above his head. Turning, Aizen swung his arm round behind him, the boy lunging, a Getsuga Tenshou coiled around his blade. The two struck, the jet black energy shooting off into the distance, scratching the sky. Ichigo leapt out of the rubble, even more of the staircase now destroyed. Bursting out of the smoke, Aizen locked swords with Ichigo, forcing him up into the sky. The two of them barrelled upwards, reaching higher than the Repentance Cell.

'Can you feel it, Kurosaki Ichigo? The depth, the darkness, the death. All of it calls to you now.' Aizen sneered, Ichigo roaring, smashing the man aside.

'Shut up! I don't wanna hear your crap!' he snarled, jabbing furiously at the man, Aizen ducking and dodging to avoid the flurry of stabs. Finally, he narrowed his eyes at the blade and caught it again, Ichigo shaking his head in surprise.

'Please, Ichigo. Spare me your juvenile techniques. I know you can do better.' he sighed, pulling the boy towards him before slashing his chest, Ichigo choking as blood flicked into the air, the two of them pushing apart again, skidding across the sky. Aizen raised a hand in front of him and grinned, Ichigo watching.

'Has all this been worth it, Kurosaki Ichigo? Nearly all of your friends are dead and the world is continuing to fall further from your grip. You have accomplished nothing and lost everything.' Sosuke jeered, Ichigo shaking, his eyes shuddering as he looked at his hands. They were gripping his hilt tightly, so tightly that they bled around his palms. Looking up, Ichigo remembered their faces, but they were blurred, out of view.

'I have to win…' he whispered, Aizen raising an eyebrow. '…if I don't, they will never forgive me. I HAVE TO WIN!' he screamed, bolting towards Aizen, flipping over him and locking blades, Aizen's arm behind his back. The man twirled round and poised to strike, a malicious grin on his face, he lunged, Ichigo ducking and pushing forwards, his sword scraping along Aizen's. Looking up, Kurosaki drove his sword into Aizen's shoulder, the man cursing and grabbing the blade but Ichigo flipped upwards, kicking off of Aizen's chest. The villain choked before plummeting downwards. He fell far before crashing into the staircase, his body disappearing in a plume of smoke. Ichigo sped down towards him, Aizen standing up, readying his blade, his hair hanging down over his face.

'So be it.' Aizen whispered, Ichigo in front of him, bringing his zanpakuto down in slow motion. In a flash, Sosuke was gone, Kurosaki's weapon slamming into the platform. He leapt away from it, landing beside Inoue.

'Inoue…are you alright?' Ichigo asked, not turning to look at her. She nodded. He didn't see, but she knew he understood. 'Please…survive this for me.' he whispered, the girl smiling weakly, a twinkle coming to her eyes. Ichigo raced off towards Aizen again, the girl watching him, the wind blowing at her hair.

'_I know…I know he doesn't mean it by anything special. He means it…because if I die, he will be the only one left. Oh Kurosaki-kun…I would never deny you your friends…I would never deny you yourself. Fight for yourself…Kurosaki-kun…fight for the right to have friends in the first place…_' she thought to herself, watching Ichigo take another hit, his arm cracking as it nearly broke. Darting backwards, Kurosaki watched Aizen intently, the man raising his arms.

'Not going to fight? Have you at last decided to quit?' glared the man, Ichigo spitting blood.

'Never!' he snapped. Aizen lowered his voice.

'Then come and get me.' he said softly. Ichigo thundered towards him, his sword raised. Aizen held out his sword but Kurosaki swung downwards, smashing straight through it, splinters and shards of metal flying out. Aizen's eyes widened in fright, the shadowy boy towering over him, bringing his sword down.

'Wha…?' Sosuke spluttered, Ichigo's sword slicing him on the shoulder, cutting into his torso. The man looked confused and shocked as he staggered backwards, the blood spurting out of his massive wound as the substitute Shinigami stood beside him, his sword still in his opponent. Ichigo's eyes were closed and he breathed a heavy sigh of relief, the clattering of a sword heard as Aizen dropped the remains of his weapon.

'_I did this for you…everyone._' Ichigo thought to himself. As he prepared to collect himself however, he felt someone grab onto his back and squeeze his shihakusho tight. The other arm wrapped around his waist and he furrowed his brow, long, orange hair falling into his hand. Moving back, his eyes widened and his heart and soul tore apart as he saw the truth. He was hunched over Inoue, his sword in her shoulder, the girl spluttering on blood. One hand was clutching his back, the other around his waist. He began to cry. There was no helping it.

'I…Inoue?' he said in total shock, the girl looking up to him weakly, her eyes fading.

'K…Kurosaki-kun…? D…did I…do something…wrong?' she whispered, her eyes falling shut. Ichigo screamed her name and dropped his weapon, screaming for her, lying her softly down on the staircase.

'INOUE! INOUE!' he roared, rain beginning to fall on them, pattering his back hard, like bullets. He screamed until his throat was about to burst, his body tortured from the force of crying. The girl lay on the ground, her now wet hair plastered across her face, blood dripping from her mouth. Standing up, Ichigo turned to the other Orihime in time to see it explode, Aizen standing in her place, a cruel leer on his face.

'Y…you…' Ichigo began, his hands shaking in pure anger.

'You really thought I wouldn't use Kyoka Suigetsu on you? The one who could possibly beat me? It's power is absolute hypnosis. You didn't stand a chance.' the man explained, Ichigo looking still in horror at Orihime.

'Don't fret. She's alive.' Aizen said darkly. Ichigo, enraged, pounced on his prey, pulling down his mask and slamming his blade into Aizen's, a massive explosion of black coursing through the air.

'What's this? You mean to come at me with your Hollow strength now?' Aizen smirked, pushing away from the Ichigo, blood shooting out of the villain's shoulder. 'Then I guess I should warn you…'

'_**Warn me? You will shut the hell up and die!**_' Ichigo screamed, swinging, thrashing at Sosuke, the man taking another hit on his chest this time, stumbling backwards. Looking up, Aizen readied himself as Ichigo swung again, smashing off of the enemy and leaping over backwards.

'You really should hear me out…' Sosuke began, Ichigo swiping at his head, the man ducking just in time as the black energy soared over him. Kurosaki smashed Aizen aside, the man trying to open his mouth to talk.

'_**Fight back you coward!**_' Ichigo snarled, stabbing at Aizen's face, the man ducking and dodging before pushing Ichigo in the chest, the boy's eyes widening with shock as he staggered backwards, Aizen pulling his hand back.

'There. Settle down now, Kurosaki Ichigo. There's no reason to get hasty.' Aizen said, shaking his head with disappointment. 'Inoue Orihime is alive. But…see what you do to her.' Aizen chuckled, Ichigo taken aback.

'_**What are you…?**_' he asked, turning round to look at the girl on the floor. He almost cried out in horror. Orihime was bound by chains, encroachment chains at that. They were eating away at her, blood everywhere as they gnawed away, the girl screaming, but no sound would come out. '_**…no…how!**_'

'I willed it. The Hogyoku delivered it. The girl is wrapped in encroachment chains that will slowly consume her body and send its soul to the Sokyoku…' he began but Ichigo was already in front of him, swinging his blade around, slamming it into Aizen's own.

'_**I'll just kill you and save her then!**_' Ichigo shrieked, Aizen chuckling. '_**What's so funny?**_'

'You really do need to stop being so impatient, Kurosaki Ichigo…and listen to what I have to say.' Aizen said, Ichigo staring into his eyes. He suddenly heard it, the sound of encroachment. Turning, he saw them begin to eat into the girl's leg, blood running everywhere. The orange haired boy scrambled over to her, attempting to pull the chains from around her, but they snapped at his fingers and he let go, falling backwards. Standing to his feet, Ichigo turned to Aizen, waiting expectantly.

'Are you quite done?' Sosuke said, unimpressed. 'Now then…you see, those encroachment chains aren't normal ones like those you experienced in the Shattered Shaft…' the man continued.

'_He knows about that!_' Ichigo thought to himself, watching the man.

'…these are different. They have been modified by myself and the Hogyoku. It's not only Hollows I have experimented on, but Shinigami as well. I have experimented on their bodies, their minds, their souls…but also, Shinigami customs as well. How else do you think I learnt of the power within the Repentance Cell? The fact that the Sokyoku can be returned by sacrifice of a certain number of souls?'

'_**You're…a monster…**_' Ichigo wheezed, Aizen brushing some hair from his face, ignoring the comment.

'The difference between these chains and the ones you faced, is that she will not become a Hollow. They do not eat away at each other, but at her instead. They will not form a Hollow hole, but will simply consume her entire being. You see, this is what I have been trying to tell you. They have been engineered…' he said, grinning, looking up at Ichigo.

'…to react to your Hollow powers.' he sneered.

'_**What!**_' Ichigo choked, stepping back.

'That's right. You remember in the shaft, yours had intervals before they would begin the encroachment again? These are similar. Whilst you are not using your Hollow powers, they sleep. Use them, they awaken.' he explained, Ichigo looking at his palms, the feeling of Inoue's blood splashed over them. '…you may want to remove your mask, or else they will not stop feeding.' Aizen suggested, Ichigo whipping his mask from his face in a flurry of black smoke. Looking at Orihime's body, he noticed the chains had indeed stopped. In a flash, Aizen had impaled Ichigo through the stomach with his blade, Ichigo spluttering, choking on blood.

'But…how can you hope to defeat a God, when you have so little power of your own? It's like the tale of the boy who looked up to the sky. Every night and every day he would try to grasp it in his hand…' he said, Ichigo sliding from the man's blade. '…but never would he reach it. He didn't realise that the earth and the sky were two separate things altogether. He didn't realise they were separated…' the man sneered, looking down at Ichigo's body, the boy falling down and landing hard on the floor, blood splashing from underneath him.

'…by a divine hand!' Aizen laughed, raising his sword and placing it back into its sheathe. Ichigo lay on the ground, his eyes shut, warm blood soaking the stairs beneath him. Aizen looked down on him momentarily and sighed, turning away from him to the Sokyoku that was nearly created atop the hill.

'There is nothing left for you now, Kurosaki Ichigo. It is time to destroy the Repentance Cell.'


	17. Ascension 6

**First of all, thank you to everyone who has reviewed, it's hit 100! :D Now, thank you to the reviewers of the last chapter, HELLO I'M, fuzzibunniez, hitsugayatoshirou1220, Zangetsu50 and Illidan the Half Demon! Enjoy the chapter :)**

Ichigo looked up in horror as Aizen opened his arms, readying himself as a cool wind swept over the two of them. Orihime lay on the ground, the chains wrapped around her, no longer moving. Ichigo spat blood and stumbled to his feet, swinging his blade at the man. Aizen caught it and turned his head slightly, one eye staring at Ichigo, boring into the boy's own. There was a sinister glimmer of purple and Sosuke smirked, Kurosaki pulling away from his grip. Instead, he made his way over to Inoue and attempted to remove the chains. Now that they were asleep he could make a move. Aizen began to rise into the sky, the purple aura furiously twisting around him, his coat flapping open in the wind. Then, his eyes exploded into a purple light, his hair lengthening down his back, his fingers becoming claw like. His eyes turned black and yellow, small, sharp fangs now his teeth. Ichigo turned, looking up at the villain who now stood in the air. Twisting his sword in his hand, the orange haired boy stood and swung it, unleashing a blast towards his foe. Aizen batted the attack aside, the energy shattering a nearby tower, crumbling it in a ball of dust and stone.

'I have no more openings, Kurosaki Ichigo. You have failed. Tend to the girl, do as you wish. The Sokyoku…is ready.' Aizen grinned, turning his eyes to the towering twister of reiatsu. He crumpled his hand into a fist, his arm outstretched towards the hill. Ichigo watched as the halberd was formed from the fires, starting from the top and moving swiftly downwards, the purple flames casting off as they went, leaving only the Sokyoku in their wake. Aizen swiped his hand to the side. Following suit, the restraints around the bottom of the weapon spun around furiously, lifting up and swinging off of it. In a second, the four poles holding the weapon in its place had launched themselves from the hill, piercing the ground far below. Lifted from its pedestal, the Sokyoku drifted towards Aizen, like a heavenly sword.

'At last…' Sosuke whispered, his yellow iris' glowing in the fiery red sky. Looking down on Ichigo with pity, he snapped his fingers, the encroachment chains spiralling from around Orihime, dissolving into the air around them, her body returning.

'You poor boy…revel in the last moments of this world together. As your new God, I can grant you that.' Aizen smiled sympathetically, Ichigo cursing. Turning his head back, Aizen narrowed his eyes at the Sokyoku suddenly. He twitched, noticing instantly.

'_The Sokyoku…it's upside down?_' he thought to himself. In an instant he realised but he was too late. Twisting sharply to the side he was struck by an intense blast of light from somewhere in the sky. Ichigo looked up, Orihime in his hands, a figure darting in from a small door in the air above. Barrelling into the fray, Shinji rammed into Aizen in mid air, shoulder first. Aizen choked, Hirako's zanpakuto protruding from his former lieutenant's back.

'Yo.' Shinji smirked, sweat running down his head. 'Ichigo…' he said darkly, turning to the boy, looking down at him. '…get yer ass out of here.' whispered the Vizard, Ichigo shaking his head.

'Hirako-san…' he began but Shinji snapped at him, his hair flying about his face.

'Ya jus' gonna sit there then!' he shouted but suddenly Aizen's hand was around his throat, Shinji turning back to the man, his sword still stuck in him. Looking up at the grinning face, Aizen scowled, blood running from his mouth.

'Captain Hirako…I am disgusted you would even show your face in my Soul Society.' Aizen spat, Shinji shrugging. Reaching up, the former captain placed his hand upon Aizen's arm, the villain's new eyes moving swiftly, taking a look at every conceivable angle.

'Ya killed Kisuke. He died by yer doin' anyway.' Shinji said coldly, his eyes hidden beneath his hair. 'As long as I can blame ya for that, I'll always return.' Hirako whispered hoarsely. Quick as anything, he hoisted his sword from Aizen's stomach, the blood splattering down onto the staircase. Eyes wide, Sosuke didn't get a chance to react as Hirako sliced off the man's arm, back flipping away from the enemy, Aizen skidding the opposite direction, holding the area his arm used to be. Looking up at Shinji, he opened his mouth to say something when he looked sharply to one side, the Vizard sneering. From another door, Yoruichi bolted into the battle, landing an earth shattering punch into Aizen's abdomen. She had covered the majority of her face with a cloth, revealing only her golden, cat like eyes. However now, they were bloodshot and tear soaked. Aizen spat blood as the woman pushed in, twisting her fist into his stomach.

'This is for Kisuke!' she screeched, pulling away and flipping up, kicking the man in the face with one, then two feet and bounding from him, stepping back next to Shinji. Ichigo looked up at her, barely able to tell who it was. She was standing so different, no longer lax or fun, but stoic and stiff, expressionless, something hidden beneath the cloth. Sadness? A possible weakness, Ichigo thought.

'Yoruichi-san…' the boy began. '…I'm sorry about Urahara-san.' Ichigo said, the woman saying nothing. Instead she closed her eyes, tears running down her cheeks, her fists clenching. Finally, she pulled the cloth down past her chin, forcing a smile at the boy.

'Forget about it for now, Ichigo. Focus on this.' she ordered, Ichigo nodding reluctantly. Hearing the sound of laughter, the three of them turned, staring down their enemy. He rose, straightening his back. Blood was now running down Aizen's face. Nodding, the man looked at his arm and grimaced. From the stump, purple vines burst out, Ichigo staring in horror as they took on the shape of veins and then nerves and then skin before forming his entire arm once again. Aizen flexed his fingers before waltzing around, looking at the three before him.

'I have given myself to the Hogyoku. My body anyway. That, which Kisuke Urahara could not control…' he began.

'You dare say Kisuke's name?' Yoruichi hissed, Aizen raising a finger.

'Careful now, Miss Shihoin.' the man smiled, looking up, his reiatsu thundering out as his eyes flashed, the air distorting around them. 'Let's not be rude. As I was saying, that which Kisuke Urahara could not control, the Hogyoku, now resides in me. My two subjects, Abarai-kun and Kurosaki Ichigo have successfully shown me what it can do. Now, as you see me here…' Sosuke grinned, his long, brown hair billowing out behind him, his sharp teeth curling up into a smooth, nasty grin. '…I am in control of that power.'

Yoruichi and Shinji stood in complete silence, Aizen running a hand through his hair.

'Look at you. Bound by emotion. Unchain your morals and crush your emotions. Only then could you ever hope to destroy me. I must commend you though. Your numbers are far less than those in the Winter War and yet you have managed to thoroughly damage me. Or maybe I'm just getting a bit careless. Whatever the case…' Aizen jeered, raising his hand out in front of him. '…it's all over now. When I obtain the power of the Captain Commanders none of it will matter.' Suddenly, his eyes widened as Shinji was behind him, speeding towards the man, one hand out in front, the other up in the air, holding a long, glass tube.

'Bakudo 62, Hyapporankan!' Hirako shouted, launching the Kido at the man. It split into hundreds of smaller bars and each one slammed into Aizen's back with a thud, the man managing to stand his ground, his arms out to side as they rammed into him. They shattered however as Sosuke broke free, turning to find the Vizard. Out of the blue, Yoruichi was before him, aiming a powerful kick at the man's face. Her leg was infused with Shunko, crackling lightning running up and around her foot.

'Ooooh!' she cried, placing all her strength into the strike. Time seemed to slow to a stop as her foot was inches away from Aizen's face. The man grinned suddenly and lashed out, clutching Yoruichi's ankle. In a sick, twisting motion, he tore her leg off from the thigh downwards, Shinji, Ichigo and the woman herself looking in total shock as blood hung in the air, Aizen's eyes closed, pulling the leg away before tossing it behind him. She couldn't find the breath to scream and plummeted, Ichigo leaping up and catching her, holding her in his arms.

'I…I'm sorry, Ichigo…I got too worked up…' she spluttered, the boy laying her down on the ground.

'Forget about it. I'm gonna go and help Hirako.' Ichigo snarled, pulling his mask down onto his face and rocketing upwards towards the two. Meanwhile, Aizen and Shinji circled one another, like prey and predator.

'Why did you come back?' Aizen asked, raising an eyebrow. Shinji held his arms out and scoffed.

'Why did you come back!' he cried, Sosuke chuckling.

'To gain a power like none you've ever dreamed of.' the man cackled, Shinji clutching his sword tight.

'When will ya wake up? Yer no God. Just some nutter who thinks he is all powerful. I got a news flash fer ya…' Shinji said darkly, appearing beside Aizen, the man's eyes widening in shock. '…yer just a Shinigami.' Hirako whispered, lashing out with his blade. Aizen however was gone, the man's eyes widening in horror as he felt a blade scrape along his back, Sosuke pulling the sword slowly across, blood erupting from Shinji's back.

'Just a Shinigami? You couldn't be more wrong. And here I thought you were wise. But…after all, you're nothing.' Aizen sighed, Shinji staggering forwards, wincing from the searing pain. Turning, he smiled, Sosuke looking behind his back, the two of them watching as Ichigo roared into battle, screaming upwards, black energy bleeding from around him as he pulled his sword over his head, slamming it into Aizen's. From the other side, Shinji pounced, Aizen catching his blade.

'Miss Shihoin got a little too angry. Are you about to do the same, Kurosaki Ichigo?' Aizen coaxed.

'Don't listen to him Ichigo!' Shinji growled, attempting to wrench his blade free from Aizen's hand, the villain pushing against Ichigo on the other side.

'Why not? Soul Society essentially lies in ruin. All of your friends are dead. Give up. Lie down on the floor and just watch everything fall into place. You don't need to get cut up and butchered like the rest.' Sosuke tempted, Ichigo's eyes drifting to his mouth, every part of him listening, shutting off all other noise and taking in only the sweet temptations. Then, he heard something else over the top and looked up, craning his head up slightly to see Shinji calling to him.

'Ichigo!' he cried. 'You can finish it! Defeat him! That's what he is afraid of, he - !' Hirako began but Aizen had manoeuvred his sword away from Ichigo, now impaling Shinji, the man spluttering.

'I wanted to repay the favour.' Aizen soothed, Shinji crying out as he fell to the staircase, hitting his head on the side and hanging precariously over the edge, his hair falling down over his face, blood dripping from his stomach. 'Afraid?' Aizen declared, looking down upon the fallen captain. 'I fear nothing but dying upon the throne of man. The throne of the heavens is where I shall rest.' Turning, he hit Ichigo aside, the boy disappearing into a cloud of smoke. Aizen reached for the Sokyoku, clasping it in his hand. His fingers curled around the shaft, a massive surge of power running through him, his coat begin to waver behind him, his hair flowing, as if being blown by a soft breeze. There was a light purple aura around him and the weapon and he gripped it tight, closing his eyes to take in the feeling.

'A perfect fit.' he said, observing his hand. Looking up, he set his eyes on the Repentance Cell. 'Now that all remains is the throw. Once that is finished, I will have the power of all the Captain Commanders in my hand!' Aizen laughed insanely, his eyes pulsing as he lurched back and forth with a mad laughter. Without a second thought, he launched the halberd, the massive weapon spiralling towards the tower. Then, there was a flash of light. The Sokyoku collided at an immense speed, an explosion covering the entirety of Seireitei. Aizen was still laughing, brushing his hair from his face as he chuckled, his laughter dying down at last, the light and wind slowly disappearing.

'It is done. Now to…' he began, but then he saw it. The silhouette of a standing Repentance Cell. His eye twitched as he saw the second thing. The silhouette of a boy. Panting heavily, Ichigo looked up into the sky, his arms outstretched. He could feel the Sokyoku drilling into his back, the immense heat and reiatsu crushing his spine. But, he mustered a grin and looked back at the villain whose lip was curling up into a snarl.

'_**Yo…**_' Ichigo breathed, sweat literally pouring down his face as he strained against the weapon boring into his back. '_**…I stopped this thing before didn't I? I just thought, heck, I'll do it again.**_'

'You…' Aizen trembled, his hands shaking. Grasping the end of the Sokyoku he pushed it into Ichigo, the boy screaming as he felt it begin to pierce his flesh. '…I'll just tear through you then.' Aizen said simply, his hair hanging over his face now, the reiatsu ruffling their coats, their hair flustering all over the place. Ichigo spat blood and turned to the staircase, Orihime sitting up, looking up at him. She was crying, not a new sight. Kurosaki smiled at her, holding back the pain of the weapon digging through him.

'_Kurosaki-kun…_' she thought to herself, watching the boy, her eyes locking with his. '_Kurosaki-kun shouldn't have to feel this pain. I can feel it too…it's monstrous…it's burning away at him. Why should Kurosaki-kun carry this burden alone? Why is it…_' she thought, standing to her feet, the tears running down her cheeks faster now. '_…why does Kurosaki-kun always protect us? Why does he…when we…we…can protect him…!_' she looked up, her eyes staring into his, the boy gasping as she stood. '_This time I will protect you, Kurosaki-kun!_'

'KOTEN ZANSHUN, I REJECT!' she screamed at the top of her voice, her shrill cry piercing the heavens. There was a blinding flash of orange light, Ichigo covering his eyes as a whooshing sound was heard. Then, there was a sickening slashing sound, her hairpin returning to her. In the sky, Aizen was clutching his face with his hand, blood pouring from where his eye should have been. He cursed, holding the Sokyoku loosely in his other hand as he turned to Inoue, the girl quickly cowering.

'I'll destroy…' Aizen began but then, in the wind, they all heard a voice.

'…Shinso!' came a hissing sound and Sosuke turned slowly, the blade speeding towards him from the ground below, Gin standing, barely alive, his sword in his hand. In a slow lurch, the weapon pierced him through the chest, carrying onto the other side. Sosuke staggered, stumbling, the Sokyoku dropping from his hand. Taking the moment, Ichigo pounced, the rain turning black as it formed his reiatsu, his mask upon his face. Aizen's eye swivelled up to the boy who was bringing his blade down like a pendulum.

'_**This is for everyone you hurt…Sado…**_' Ichigo shouted, memories of all his friends flashing back into his head. '_**…Byakuya…**_' he came blistering towards his foe. '_**…Renji…**_' Ichigo cried. '_**…Uryu…**_' Aizen looked up, all he could see was black. '_**…Urahara-san…heck, even Mayuri. This is for Inoue. This is for Rukia. But…most of all…**_' Ichigo bellowed, swinging his blade downwards. '_**…I am doing this for my dad!**_' he screamed, his sword connecting with Aizen's neck in a massive, colossal explosion of black and red light, shooting out across the entire Soul Society, engulfing the whole area in a ball of reiatsu.


	18. Rebirth

**Hey guys, welcome back! This is not the last chapter! Thank you to the reviewers ichigos future wife, Illidan the Half Demon, TheDarkSlayer, hitsugayatoshirou1220, Zangetsu and fuzzibunniez! I hope you all enjoy this chapter too ^^ please, everyone else review! Thank you!**

_When will they learn?_

Aizen was falling. He couldn't hear anything after the explosion. His long, brown hair whirled around him as he fell, nothing but a blue sky and clouds in his vision. His eyes were barely open and they fluttered, the black sclera beginning to fade. Looking down, he saw a mass of black and then, he plummeted head first. As his fell, his hair began to fall out, returning to its old length. He smirked.

'_At last…it's all come together. Congratulations, Kurosaki Ichigo._' Sosuke thought to himself, opening his eyes, the black sclera gone completely. Looking down at his hand, he saw Kyoka Suigetsu resting in his palm. As if he lifted to his face, the blade crumpled to nothing, the hilt following suit before blowing away in the wind. The man fell into the black, the Hogyoku lifting from inside his chest, blood trailing up into the air as the orb flew upwards.

'_Wait…_' Aizen thought to himself, catching sight of the ball. '_I wasn't supposed to lose that as well…!_' he reached for the Hogyoku, the sphere falling back towards him, the two of them careening downwards now.

'_This power…_' Sosuke thought to himself, the black sclera creeping across his eye again as he strained to reach the Hogyoku. '_…is…_' suddenly, his back hit the black surface like water, the thick, opaque substance swirling around him as he sunk into it, his body disappearing into the pit, his face and arm above as he caught the Hogyoku in his hand. '…_mine!_' his eye was submerged and he disappeared, the purple orb floating on the surface before cracking down the middle and splitting in half, disappearing into the black as mere powder.

* * *

Ichigo stared down at the ground, whisking the mask from his face. His eyes moved swiftly over the wasteland that was Soul Society. Aizen's body was gone. The reiatsu left by the Hogyoku had all but disappeared without a trace. Heaving, Kurosaki toppled over and crashed heavily onto the staircase, the world around him spinning. His eyes closed shut tight, opening again. He was staring straight into Orihime's eyes, the girl looking over him in worry.

'I…Inoue?' he whispered, lifting his hand up to her face. '…Shinji…Yoruichi-san…where are they?' he asked, the girl gesturing to his side. The Vizard was lying down on his back, a bright orange field covering his torso, Yoruichi slumped against a stone, her leg slowly rebuilding within an orange force field. Ichigo smiled and sat up, blood running from his wounds. Then he began to cry.

'Kurosaki-kun…' Orihime sighed, looking down at Ichigo.

'We failed, Inoue-san. I wanted to protect everyone. But everyone is dead. Aizen got what he wanted in the end.' the boy whimpered, his head in his hands. Then, there came a faint scratching sound and they turned, Shinji coughing as he chuckled, his eyes gazing up at the sky.

'Did he?' Hirako smiled. 'He wanted the power of the captain commanders. He didn't get it. If he had, every world would have perished. You protected everyone, Ichigo-san.' The Vizard reassured him, Ichigo sighing heavily and looking out over the devastation. Staggering to his feet, Shinji grasped a nearby rock to help him up and he looked around, Orihime gasping.

'Hirako-san, you need to sit dow-!' she began but the Vizard waved her off, the man looking around intently for something. Suddenly, from the ground below, an enormous beam of purple light shot up into the clouds like a laser, piercing the blood red sky. As it churned and twisted, the red was slowly, but surely being pushed aside. Ichigo watched in awe, Orihime clutching his sleeve, Shinji chuckling.

'About time.' he winked.

'No way…' Ichigo whispered. The blue sky was appearing again, shining down through the gap, the red being pushed further and further aside. Finally, in one momentous motion, the light shot out, the red vanishing into thin air, the familiar blue sky covering Seireitei once more, the sun beaming down on them. All was quiet as they looked on. Then, something even more amazing happened. Sokyoku Hill began to rebuild itself. The crumbled rocks rolled upwards, forging together to form the mighty mountain, the same sort of thing happening across the Soul Society. The fires were being put out, the flames simply dissipating into nothing. Standing, Ichigo looked around in shock, Shinji placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, laughing to himself.

'Isn't it sweet? Everythin'…' the man said, looking down at the orange haired Shinigami, the boy stuttering. '…is comin' back.' Watching, they saw grass grow from craggy rocks and lava turn to crystal clear water. Birds began to sing again in the trees and the smoking, shaken towers were reforming to their once great selves. The hole in the Repentance Cell sealed itself, the strangling vine wrapped around it shrivelling up and dying, burning away into the wind.

'This is…impossible…' Ichigo spluttered, Orihime unable to contain her delight as figures began walking down below, Shinigami gathering up the wounded, running away like every other day.

'Oh it's quite possible.' came a voice and everyone turned, Kisuke Urahara stepping down onto the staircase, his hand on his hat as he lifted it slightly up over one eye, smirking at the group. Ichigo was simply stunned, his eyes bulging as the man swept into sight, Shinji rolling his eyes.

'You and yer flashy entrances…' he grumbled, but he couldn't hide the smile. Urahara removed his hat innocently and shrugged.

'I swear I didn't do it on purpose!' he exclaimed. Looking round, he saw Yoruichi out cold on the floor, his eyes falling still. The wind caught his hair and the blonde tufts rustled as he looked down at the woman, smiling. '_You did very well, Yoruichi-san. Thank you._' At last he turned back to Ichigo and strode towards the boy, placing his hat back on his hat.

'Y…y…how?' Ichigo stammered.

'You seem to be confused.' Urahara declared, raising an eyebrow. 'Why? You killed Aizen. Surely that would just…unlock everything and bring it back?' he suggested, Ichigo not buying it. Shaking his head, Kisuke laughed again, clearly in a very happy mood. 'Right you would be to call that a lie. You see, Aizen gave his body to the Hogyoku. He made that explicitly clear with both his new appearance and the appearance of those life sucking vines.' Urahara looked out over the regenerating world, a proud look on his face. 'As you can see, everything is returning to normal. Why? It's simple. The Hogyoku cannot be destroyed. That's how I made it. However, Aizen's word is true; he knows far more about it than I. However, his lust for power lead him to be complacent. He overlooked a single rule; by placing it inside himself, and you and Abarai-san, he essentially denied it that power. There was no physical representation of the Breakdown Sphere remaining, all of it was split between you three. When the orb's shards within both you and Renji disappeared, only Aizen's remained. With the destruction of his body, the Hogyoku was destroyed too.' Urahara explained, everyone listening intently.

'As you can see…' the man said, waving at the Soul Society. '…everything the Hogyoku took, destroyed, absorbed…you name it, is returning to life. I am here, because I was killed by a wielder of the Hogyoku.'

At this, Ichigo's face suddenly dropped.

'I see…' he whispered, turning his head, looking up at the sun. '…that means…Ishida…Sado…they won't return. Doesn't it, Urahara-san?' Ichigo asked. However, he received no reply. Turning round, he saw the man smiling cheekily underneath his hat.

'There is one chance. With the Hogyoku taking Aizen's body, its reach could have extended to his zanpakuto, Kyoka Suigetsu. If so, then everyone who was killed under the influence of Kyoka Suigetsu will also return.' Urahara deduced, Orihime turning to him, a look of fright in her eyes as the staircase floated downwards, connecting again with the rest of the steps.

'Urahara-san…what are the chances of that happening?' she whispered, the man lowering his hat over his eyes.

'Not likely I'm afraid. But, we can wait and see.' Kisuke decided, the group standing, watching as the area returned to normal. Turning his head slightly, he saw Kurotsuchi Mayuri on the ground, barking orders at some helpless new Shinigami, each of the screeching as they ran to complete their errands. 'Oh…looks like everyone's favourite captain is back.' Urahara stifled a giggle. Ichigo however looked on in silence, waiting for someone to appear.

'Ichigo…' Shinji muttered, stepping up beside the boy. '…you should know…I've never seen courage quite like yours. Aizen was a true monster, the epitome of evil…but ya stood up ter him, fer ya friends and family.' the Vizard turned to him, the boy looking up into his eyes. 'I gotta say, I was mighty impressed. I don't know many kids who would do that.'

'Thanks…' Ichigo smiled weakly, turning away again. Shinji took a backseat beside Urahara, the man looking down beside Yoruichi. The woman's eyes flitted open, her golden eyes looking to her right, Urahara smiling at her.

'Ki…suke?' Yoruichi whispered.

'What did the letter say? I said to not get wound up. Trust you eh?' Urahara said, but he was grinning, the woman chuckling sheepishly, resting her head against the stone.

'Sorry…' she smiled, looking up at Ichigo, the boy's back to them, Inoue edging towards him. '…he saved my life Kisuke. I would have gone crashing to the floor.' Urahara nodded and smiled back at her, not saying a word. He didn't have to. Her gratitude to Ichigo was eternal. As was his. Then, they all suddenly looked up. From the sky above two figures stepped out, their bodies being formed by millions of sparkles. One walked in front of the other, his long black hair twisting in the wind, his light green scarf wrapped around his neck. He had a deadpan expression on his face as he approached the group. Behind him, was a shy, timid looking man. His flaming red hair was tied back in a ponytail shooting upwards, fierce tattoos on his forehead.

'Renji…Byakuya…!' Ichigo gasped, watching the two step down towards them, their bodies completely formed from the air. The two sixth division members touched the ground in front of the others softly, Byakuya turning his head sharply to look across to Yoruichi, his scarf swirling around as he moved. He bypassed Ichigo and stopped to look down in front of the woman.

'Shihoin Yoruichi, Goddess of Flash…caught were you?' Byakuya scorned, Yoruichi sniggering, looking up at the man with a sort of cheeky disdain. The captain looked down at her before dropping his scarf on her leg, turning and leaving instantly. 'Don't let it happen again.' he mumbled before disappearing into the sky, the woman looking down at it in shock, fumbling with the scarf in her hand.

'Oh Byakuya…you'd never forgive me if I lost to anyone else but you.' she smiled softly, Kisuke grinning at Shinji. Meanwhile, Renji stood face to face with Ichigo. The two had just done cataclysmic battle only minutes earlier, now, they were back again.

'It's…all over then?' Abarai asked after a while, Ichigo nodding. '…Listen, Ichigo, I want to…' he began but Kurosaki yawned languidly, waving him off.

'Eeeh…forget about it! It's all in the past! Everyone you took out has come back anyway right?' he chuckled, beaming at the lieutenant. Renji smiled weakly and nodded, looking out over the Soul Society.

'I had almost forgotten how beautiful this place looked.' the man whispered meekly, Ichigo nodding in agreement behind him. 'What about…Ishida, Sado…?' Renji asked suddenly, Ichigo looking at him slowly.

'They…haven't come back yet. Soon.' he reassured the man. Urahara stepped forwards in between them, turning to look at Ichigo, one of his eyes showing beneath his hat.

'Kurosaki-san…just how long do you plan to wait?' he asked, Ichigo breathing out, like a load was finally off his shoulders.

'As long as it takes.' the boy smiled, happily clenching his hand into a fist. 'As long as it takes.'

'Then we are happy to wait with you.' Urahara agreed, taking a step back again and perching himself down next to Yoruichi, Shinji slouching on a nearby rock. Ichigo's eyes were still scanning the area, looking for any sign at all of life. The life of his friends anyway. With that, he waited.


	19. Endings

**This is it. The final chapter. It's short yes, but it conveys the feeling I wanted. I listened to Soundscape to Ardor whilst writing this. Thank you to everyone for following Bleach: Rebirth, it's been a pleasure to write for you guys. Hopefully i'll see you all on my inevitable next fic. Thank you to last chapter's reviewers Illidan the Half Demon, HELLO I'M, ichigos future wife, fuzzibunniez, hitsugayatoshirou1220 and Zangetsu50. Thanks everyone, it's been a blast :)**

Ichigo walked slowly through Karakura Town. The sky was dark and it was slightly cold out. His Bankai coat trailed along the floor behind him and he thought he heard a crunch. Turning, he was met with a gust of wind, flapping his coat around in front of his face. All was silent. Looking up, he read the sign atop the front door of the building before him.

'Kurosaki Clinic…' he whispered to himself. '…Dad.' looking around, he saw Orihime standing quietly behind him, her arms behind her back. She looked solemn and stony faced.

'Kurosaki-kun…' she said softly, her voice barely heard on the wind.

'Dad didn't come back.' Ichigo said weakly, trying to force a smile at the girl. 'I know I should have expected it…because of what Urahara-san said. But neither did Rukia, nor Ishida, nor Sado.' Ichigo choked, turning his back to the girl, the two standing in silence, Ichigo's fists shaking.

'I failed…' he whispered. He was beginning to cry, the tears welling up at the corners of his eyes when Inoue stepped up next to him, her hair flowing gently in the wind as she offered Ichigo a silky cloth.

'Kurosaki-kun didn't fail.' she smiled at him. 'What happened to the others isn't your fault. You protected everyone with all your might.' the girl reassured him, Ichigo wiping his eyes with his sleeve. Orihime pulled her hand away, looking down at the crinkled cloth in her hand, a small smile appearing on her face as she looked up at the sky dreamily.

'It's not your fault you were fighting a monster. Even Yoruichi-san and Hirako-san couldn't beat him. But Kurosaki-kun put everything into it for his friends. Abarai-kun came back, so did Urahara-san. Everyone did…' she continued, but Ichigo stood up and turned to walk back down the street, the overhead lamp flickering on and off.

'Not everyone.' he said sourly. Inoue reached out for him and shook her head, even though he couldn't see her.

'You protected me…' she whispered and Ichigo stopped and the light above him ceased flicking. Kurosaki turned slowly, as if waiting for her to say something else. Instead, she looked down nervously at the floor and began to leave, sighing heavily.

'Inoue…' came a small voice and she turned, her hair catching the wind and lifting around her, Ichigo straightening up, his eyes glistening under the street lamp. They stood apart, but their eyes locked completely. '…thanks.' Inoue beamed at him. She walked over to him slowly, Ichigo swallowing hard as she came inches away from him. She raised a hand slightly in front of her, her fingers twitching. Ichigo watched her intently.

'Inoue…' he whispered but she didn't say a word. Instead she raised herself to him, her eyes closing, his doing the same as they leaned in, the street lamp seemingly brightening over their heads. As she moved her lips towards his, they stopped for but a fraction of a second. In that second, Inoue opened her eyes.

'I'm sorry.' she whispered faintly and stepped away. Ichigo looked up, but the girl turned and walked away, pulling her coat around her as the wind picked up, buffering her with the cold.

'_Perhaps it's for the best. Kurosaki-kun has bigger things to worry about than me. Maybe one day…_' the girl thought to herself as she left Ichigo standing under the light. '_…maybe one day I'll tell him how I feel._' she turned into an alley and sprinted out of sight, the clouds opening above them, rain pouring down. Ichigo stood still, his hair dripping down his face as he looked in front of him at where she had been standing.

'_I know Kurosaki-kun will always be there to protect me. I just have to believe in him. And myself as well…thank you Kurosaki-kun. But…not right now. Thank you…_' Ichigo looked up and made his way to the house, placing a weak hand on the handle. His hand was shuddering. Not because it was cold, but because of his sisters. They were in here and had no idea about their father. Plus, now he had new thoughts running around in his head, but they would have to wait. Building up his courage, he opened the door and stepped in. Looking around the hall, he removed himself from his Shinigami form and trudged into the dark kitchen, the rain rattling against the windows.

Suddenly, something caught his eye. There were two people asleep at the kitchen table. Apprehensively, he flicked on the light switch. His heart sunk. Karin and Yuzu were draped across the table, quietly sleeping. They were in their clothes, not their pyjamas. He figured they'd been up and waiting the entire time he was gone.

'Karin…Yuzu…' he whispered, sighing. '…I'm so sorry.' he began to walk towards them when Karin moved her arm and he backed up, the girl's eyes fluttering open. He stood perfectly still but she smiled warmly.

'Ichi-nii…' came her small voice and Ichigo breathed in deep before walking over to her. With thoughts running mad in his head, Kurosaki prepared himself for anything and opened his arms, tears beginning to shake in him again.

'Karin…Karin…' he began, the girl sitting up slowly, looking into his face. '…dad…dad is…' however before he could finish the girl was hugging him around the waist, the boy quiet with shock. He looked down at her slowly before placing his hands on her back, the girl nestling her head as whimpered slightly, rubbing her eyes.

'We know…Ichi-nii…I heard you talking to yourself about it…in our room…and outside.' she sobbed, the boy's eyes wide. 'I tried to calm Yuzu…but she said she wanted you here…' she said and almost as if on cue, Yuzu was suddenly beside them, the two of them embracing their brother.

'Ichi-nii…' the brown haired girl gushed, Ichigo holding them both, looking down on them with a slight smile that echoed of both a feeling of happiness and sadness. A single tear dropped from his eyes and fell, landing on the kitchen floor below.

'_I won't leave you two again. I promise._' Ichigo thought to himself and sat there for as long as it took for them to finally cry themselves back to sleep. '_It isn't going to be easy. We are going to have to find a way to live. We're gonna have to find a way to carry on. This is one of the darkest moments we've faced. First mum, then dad. I will not leave you. No matter who or what tries to split us, I'll protect you both._' Ichigo thought to himself as he closed his eyes, leaning his head on theirs as they sobbed still. He could feel their little fingers clenching at his shirt. Looking up at the ceiling, the boy lifted his head and he blinked, a brief image of his friends entering his head.

'_Thanks everyone. I know you're here. Thank you._' he thought to himself before slowly lowering his head down again.

* * *

The rain was still thundering down upon the floor outside. Karakura Town was being lit up from both the moon and the flashes of lightning. The Hollows were gone and the town had been restored to its former glory. Then, from the area in front of the Urahara Shop, a brilliant speck of light emerged from thin air. From it, the light spiralled outwards, forming a beautiful circle which transformed into a wooden door. It opened sideways, each half moving apart.

From the never ending light within it, two figures stepped out, the Senkaimon closing shut quietly behind them and drifting away in a flurry of sparkles. They didn't say a word, instead, they looked over at the shop. The light was on. That was a good sign. Then, they ran. The muscular, giant of a boy bounded towards his home, the bespectacled, silvery cloaked boy to his own. The next day would be the start of a new beginning. This night, was the end of the end. The end of all darkness.

THE END


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